Not just a meaty affair: Carrot, broccoli in Kolkata Police dog squad diet | Kolkata News

KOLKATA: Meals aren’t just a meaty affair for the furry friends of Kolkata Police. Each member of the dog squad – who often act as explosive experts or are put to tough assignments – are served a balanced diet every day. No wonder, for each of the 42 canines in the squad, about 3 kilograms of vegetables are allotted per month besides 13 other food items.
According to an official source, about Rs 6,750 is allocated for the monthly food expense of each dog. Moreover, trained cooks ensure that they prepare food twice daily so that these ‘important members’ of the Kolkata Police can perform their best each day. “The idea is to provide balanced meals to the dog squad. A complete and balanced diet comprises appropriate proportions of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals,” explained an officer. Such is the emphasis on nutrition that the annual contract for the raw food items, meant for the dogs, was floated by Lalbazar last week only after the diet plan had been prepared by the experts. Carrots, broccoli, eggs, meat, curd and superior quality rice and pulses form a significant chunk of the daily meals. Boneless meat is offered, while good quality bones are offered to them separately. Though oil isn’t used for cooking, good quality garlic, salt and turmeric are procured every month. “Dry commercial dog food with minimum 24% protein at 600 gm/day (as per the recommendation of Deparment of Animal Nutrition, WBUAFS) is allowed,” said an officer.