New Delhi, Sept. 30: Like their army counterparts, SSB dogs will also have their day.

The paramilitary Sashastra Seema Bal has decided to honour its four-legged fighters for bravery in action and also those who have sacrificed their lives while on duty.

The central force, which appears to have taken the cue from the Indian Army, guards the 699km Bhutan border and the 1,751km-long border with Nepal.

SSB personnel are also deployed in Maoist-affected districts in the country.

"These dogs have exhibited superior levels of skill and dedication to duty and helped the force in counter-insurgency operations and solving crimes during their long dedicated service. The award has been instituted keeping in mind their bravery and service," an SSB official said.

The army's dogs from the Remount and Veterinary Corps Centre and School, Meerut, and their trainers have won one Shaurya Chakra, six Sena Medals and nearly 600 commendation cards from the chief, vice-chief and commanders. The dogs are integral to counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.

The award for the SSB dogs was instituted by Archana Ramasundaram, who retired as the paramilitary force's director-general today.

In February last year, Ramasundram, a Tamil Nadu-cadre IPS officer, had become the first woman to head a central paramilitary force that guard's the country's borders.

Rajni Kant Mishra, a 1984-batch, Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, took over as the new DG. Central paramilitary forces are also planning to set up old-age homes for retired dogs before they can be auctioned off or given to their handlers for adoption.

"We have decided to set up an old-age home for our canine squad where they can continue to get care after retirement before being auctioned off," the SSB official said.

Early this year the army had set up an old-age home for its dogs at the war dog training school in Meerut after Delhi High Court, hearing a plea from NGOs, last year directed the defence ministry to formulate a policy to rehabilitate retired dogs.

Earlier, such dogs would have been shot or administered euthanasia, which used to be the fate of all armyand paramilitary dogs following retirement or incapacitation through injury or illness, unless they had won gallantry awards.

Armydogs usually retire at the age of seven or eight, which is about half their life span of 13-15.They can also be prematurely retired if they don't perform because of injury or illness.