From correspondents in Delhi, India, 05:01 PM IST

It's not just policemen who find themselves overworked at the time of elections, but man's best friend too. In Gujarat, most sniffer dogs are working day and night at political rallies.

Whenever there is a large rally or high-profile candidates like the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) L.K. Advani and Chief Minister Narendra Modi - who are on the hit list of terrorists - are addressing the crowds, the dogs are on call.

The canines can sniff out bombs as well as suspicious people at the same time.

Most of these sniffer dogs - belonging to breeds like the doberman, labrador and alsatian - are also working with police units investigating major crimes, especially bomb disposal squad.

Policemen feel sorry for the animals that have to perform such a high-pressure job. At present there are around 100 sniffer dogs in Gujarat, but police have requested for 100 more.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)