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The police dog that was shot in the jaw in Northland is getting better every day and will hopefully return to full service in the future, according to his treating veterinarian.
The dog had “critical” injuries when it arrived at Dr. Alastair Coomer’s veterinary clinic on Auckland’s Mt Albert on Tuesday.
But Coomer said Thursday that it has “become more stable every day.”
New Zealand Police / Supplied
The police dog was injured during an incident near Dargaville on Tuesday.
The signs are good that the dog will not only survive, but could one day return to duty alongside his handler, he said.
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“We are working with the expectation that he will recover and be able to go back to work.”
So far, the dog, who has not yet been named, has not been well enough to undergo surgery, but will have to undergo surgery in the coming days.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
The police dog’s condition is improving and his handler was finally able to go home to rest, says a vet.
Given the good news about the dog’s condition, it has also meant that his handler has been able to relax.
Coomer said the handler had been by his dog’s side “around the clock” for much of the treatment and has now been able to go home to rest.
“In our hospital we see the human-animal bond at its strongest,” Coomer said.
NZ POLICE
A police dog that was shot in the jaw in Northland on Tuesday will require multiple surgeries in the coming weeks, but for now is stable.
“It is a reminder to the public of how strong that bond can be. And a police officer and his dog is probably the pinnacle of that. “
During the incident, a man was also shot three times by the police and was rushed to hospital after the incident in the rural settlement of Tangowahine.
Superintendent Tony Hill said police chased the man into a meadow. He then turned around and fired in the direction of the dog handler, hitting the dog.
RYAN ANDERSON / Stuff
A cordon was placed in Tangowahine, near Dargaville, on Tuesday, where a man was shot after allegedly shooting a police dog.
The police then responded to the fire, hitting the man three times.
Hill said an investigation into the incident was ongoing.
“The police would like to acknowledge the messages of support received overnight from the community regarding the welfare of the police dog,” he said Wednesday.
A total of 24 police dogs have died in the line of duty since 1972, four in the 2000s alone.
The VSA Advanced Veterinary Care Hospital where Coomer works is one of the regional clinics where police and service animals are brought in in an emergency.
On Thursday, police said the dog is progressing “well” but requires several surgeries in the coming weeks.
New Zealand Police / Supplied
Police dog Gazza, photographed with handler Josh Robertson, was the last police dog to be killed in the line of duty, in 2016.
“There will be a long road to recovery and it is still too early to say whether the dog will return to operational duties, however police remain optimistic.”
Inspector Todd Southall, the national police dog coordinator, recognized the Dargaville Veterinary Clinic and Kamo veterinarians who provided “life-saving treatment” for the dog immediately after the incident.
The man shot by police remains stable at Auckland City Hospital, Southall said.
