The Veterinary Centre Caring for Alicante's Police Dogs: 15 Years of Operations, Emergencies, and Loyalty

In a small establishment in the Los Ángeles neighbourhood of Alicante lies one of the silent cogs supporting the police work of an entire province. Here, at the Leuka veterinary centre, a team of professionals has been caring for the dogs of the National Police's Canine Unit for 15 years. Their availability is absolute: if a dog falls ill at three in the morning, they open the door. This is the story of a silent commitment that rarely makes headlines.

"A man can measure the value of his own soul by the grateful look an animal gives him when he has helped it." This phrase, attributed to the Greek philosopher Plato, greets those who enter the clinic, which opened in 1983, although the love and loyalty story with the National Police would take several more years to unfold.

In July 2010, the National Police of Alicante inaugurated the Canine Unit. Four officers, from similar units in Madrid and Valencia, and six dogs - Atila, Dax, Bleky, Lord, Fosca, and Fido - formed the first team.

That summer, as the unit began its journey through training, protocols, and initial services, a question as basic as it was decisive arose: who would care for the health of these dogs tasked with detecting explosives, weapons, or drugs? There was no fixed plan or service. It was then that Leuka emerged as the missing piece, the link capable of supporting the new agents in what no academy teaches: the specialised care required by an operational dog.

José Riolobos, a trauma specialist and father of the current head, Anna, received the call. That first contact led to sporadic check-ups for the group's dogs. No one imagined then that this budding relationship would become an operational pillar that would transcend the clinical and result in a relationship that endures 15 years later.

"We started all this with your father," the unit's veteran handlers often tell Anna. He was the one who built the initial bridge, who opened the door without asking questions, and who accepted the first emergencies without checking the clock. When his daughter took over, she inherited not just a clinic, but an emotional and professional bond that had grown over the years. Today, she leads the team with the same philosophy: total availability, mutual trust, and a treatment that goes beyond veterinary medicine.

The transition from father to daughter did not erase the anecdotes that define this relationship. Some are recounted as if they were old shared battles. One such story emerged when one of the dogs swallowed a cap. An urgent operation was needed. It was a quick, precise operation, one of those where there is only one chance. The animal survived.

More recent is the story of Tuba, one of the explosive detection dogs of this specialised unit, who suffered a femur fracture during a practice at Alicante-Elche Airport. Such an injury compromises not only a canine agent's career but also its lifelong well-being. The surgery was long and technical, involving plates, screws, and thorough follow-up. For the unit, it was almost a miracle; for the clinic, one of those jobs that justify their profession.

Amidst these memorable operations, the daily routine involves check-ups, analyses, health controls, joint care, and emotional support. Here, they understand something essential: a police dog is not a resource, but a companion. The handlers live it this way, and so does the veterinary centre.

In Leuka's rooms, they have seen dogs grow up who later risked their lives detecting weapons, money, drugs, or explosives. They have accompanied veteran specimens towards retirement. They have experienced tough farewells, unexpected celebrations, and returns that seemed impossible. For Anna, continuing her father's legacy means sustaining that emotional universe without losing clinical precision.

The award received this year from the National Police is, in some way, a double tribute: to the current work of Anna and her team, and to the foundational commitment of her father, who started it all. It is not a specific operation that is being awarded, but a way of working. One that blends professionalism and humanity, technique and dedication, science and affection.

What began as a one-off collaboration has become an indispensable alliance that spans generations, careers, and lives - both human and canine - in Alicante. The agents of the National Police's Canine Unit in Alicante have entrusted the Leuka Veterinary Centre with their most delicate asset, their friends. They are in good hands.