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Police have released a picture of the police dog injured in a shooting in Northland on Tuesday.
A police dog injured in a shooting in Northland is now in stable condition. Source: New Zealand Police
Arnie, a German shepherd, is progressing well but will need several more rounds of surgery in the coming weeks due to his injuries, police said today in a Facebook post.
The police dog received wounds to the face and jaw after a man shot him in Tangowahine, 12 kilometers north of Dargaville.
Subsequently, the police shot the man. He remains stable in the hospital.
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The dog received serious injuries to the face and jaw after being shot in an incident Tuesday near Dargaville. Source: 1 NEWS
“The police would like to thank the Dargaville Veterinary Clinic, supported by Kamo veterinarians, who immediately provided life-saving treatment for the police dog following Tuesday’s incident,” said Inspector Todd Southall.
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Arnie, the German shepherd, took a short walk while he continued to recover. Source: New Zealand Police / 1 NEWS
“Our police dog was then airlifted to Veterinary Specialists Auckland where Dr. Alistair Coomer and his team have been providing ongoing treatment and evaluation.”
Coomer told 1 NEWS that while the dog’s injuries are serious, “he will make a full recovery.”
“I’m very confident that he will survive this, go home and be active,” said the specialist vet. “The goal we are working towards is to get him back on active duty.”
He added that Arnie is “quite cheerful” despite the extent of his injuries.
“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,” police said in a statement.
Arnie has a dedicated nurse, vet and specialist with him around the clock, and the rest of the 40 clinic staff are helping with care where they can.
Coomer has experience working with gunshot wounds from animals.
“I think I’m lucky enough, or unlucky enough, to have spent much of my training in [United] state [of America] where many shots occur.
“They don’t happen often here, but we know how to deal with them when they arrive.”
