California Police Dog Expected to Make Full Recovery After Being Stabbed 27 Times by Fleeing Landlord
GOOD BOY
A police dog in a city north of San Diego was stabbed more than two dozen times after latching onto a fleeing suspect, and is gradually recovering from his injuries at his handler’s home. Aros, a Belgian Malinois with the Escondido Police Department, was stabbed 27 times in his head and snout on Dec. 9 by a landlord who allegedly attacked one of his tenants with a baseball bat and a knife. When the suspect, fleeing on foot, climbed into the rafters of a two-car garage, Officer Chad Moore sent Aros after him. The dog jumped up and sank his teeth into the man’s leg, prompting the suspect to attack. “What was pretty amazing to me, and I’ve been involved with canines for 20 years, is the dog just held on,” said Lt. Mark Petersen, who oversees the department’s K-9 unit. “He did his job. He held onto the guy while being stabbed 27 times until the officers were able to get to him safely.” Aros is energetic and recovering well, Petersen said, but it remains unclear if his snout will heal to the point he’ll be able to resume his police work. A GoFundMe for the pup had raised over $12,000 by Tuesday.