Bali’s Real Life Paw Patrol Introduced As ‘Tourist Friends’ At Top Resorts 

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In just a matter of days, the new Bali Tourism Civil Service Police Unit will be deployed out on the island’s streets at busy resort hotspots and popular tourist attractions.

The new police unit is tasked with being on hand to support tourists and keep public peace…they will be joined by five very adorable assistants. 

The Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, has officially inaugurated the new Tourism Satpol PP Unit, which is made up of seventy officers and five four-legged assistants.

There will be five units on patrol at any given time, each accompanied by a Kintamani dog.

That’s right, the Bali Tourism Civil Service Police Force will be accompanied by five ‘tourist companion dogs’ who will join officers on patrol.

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The young dogs have undergone three months of intensive assistance dog training. They are 5-6 months old and incredibly cute.

The Bali Provincial Government has intentionally chosen to use assistance dogs to help encourage a dialogue with tourists and raise the profile of the endangered native breed. 

The five puppies are called Cita, Cida, Ciga, Cipa, and Cika. They have been well socialized, are very friendly, are safe around children and vulnerable people, and have had all their jabs and vaccinations.

These are the first pups that will be out on patrol in Bali, with more dogs set to be trained in the coming months as the Bali Tourism Satpol PP Unit grows.

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The trainer responsible for the pipes, Shae Holden from Synthesis Animalia Indonesia, told reporters, “We’ve conditioned these dogs to be able to interact in the [work] environment because they will be assigned to tourist areas.”

“We mostly train for obedience and interaction because they are ambassadors for the Satpol PP to educate tourists.

Newly inaugurated Tourism Satpol PP Officer Ni Putu Ari told reporters that puppy Cida has been a quick learner and will be a real asset on patrol.

The dogs have not been trained like traditional police K9 dogs but are able to provide support to officers. 

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Ari explained that ‘[Cida] has come a long way in development; from the beginning, we taught it to lead the way, the dog was on the left and then trained to sit, lie down, be in the middle, until it was able to pass through obstacles.”

It was noted that during the inauguration ceremony held in Denpasar on Wednesday, 7th February all five of the puppies were very good boys and girls. They’ve even ‘practiced taking photos’ so that they are well prepared for the crux of their workload!

The Bali Provincial Government is deploying the Tourism Satpol PP units across Bali’s busiest attractions and resorts to help educate tourists about Balinese culture and the do’s and don’ts of the island.

Officers are also on hand to provide support to tourists who need assistance, whether that be simply providing directions or managing an emergency situation. 

Speaking at the inauguration, the Acting Governor said, “It is important to have a serial unit that has the mentality and task orientation to provide educational information about do’s and don’ts while in Bali, as well as providing services and assistance to tourists.”

“In this case, it helps the police to carry out preventions upstream so that [situations] do not develop into real threats or violations.”

During his speech, the Acting Governor made reference to some of the popular behaviors displayed by tourists in Bali, including driving recklessly and without helmets, littering, and fighting. 

Once out on patrol, from the 14th of February, the Bali Tourism Satpol PP Officers will be dressed in a casual uniform, a brown shirt, shorts, and an official uniform hat.

They will carry a walkie-talkie and handcuffs and will patrol both in a vehicle and on foot with their dogs.

Tourists are welcome to stop and chat with the officers, and officers coming by for a chat does not suggest anything untoward is happening; they have been tasked with chatting with the public.