In the municipality of Maipú in the Chilean capital of Santiago, a one-of-a kind canine brigade made up of former stray dogs provides security.
When the program began in September 2013, these dogs were in bad shape. A Rottweiler was only used for dogfights and a Portuguese Sheepdog had been burned with boiling water.
Local authorities rescued these animals with the purpose of bringing them closer to the community and to provide added security for the municipality’s residents.
The brigade is made up mostly by females, since they learn faster, and has become part of the municipality’s Public Safety team.
The dogs have learned how to form a line, greet, crawl and follow other commands. Since the dogs are in contact with people of all ages, they have been trained to be more defensive and not to attack.
They currently patrol Maipú’s downtown, but since January, they’ve been seen around parks and swimming pools.
When the dogs become too old to do their duties, the municipality cares for them for the rest of their lives.
Maipú authorities like the project so much they are thinking about increasing the number of dogs from 12 to 70 by the end of the year. They also plan to use them to detect drugs.
People have realized that these animals are important when they are well trained, regardless of the breed.
