A Fort Lauderdale police K9 was shot during a Saturday night pursuit in Wilton Manors and rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital, where authorities say the dog is expected to survive. The suspect, who was bitten by another police K9, was taken to Broward Health Medical Center and listed in stable condition after the exchange near Northwest 16th Court and 15th Terrace in the island-city neighborhood.
According to WSVN, Fort Lauderdale Police Department officers were investigating a burglary at a home when a suspect tried to run and shot the K9. The wounded dog was taken to a nearby emergency veterinary hospital and is expected to pull through. The suspect was transported to a Fort Lauderdale hospital for treatment of K9 bite injuries and remained in stable condition.
Scene and hospital response
Broward Health’s website lists Broward Health Medical Center at 1600 S. Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, and the system operates the county’s largest acute-care hospital. Hospital officials typically do not release patient-specific information, and city police have not yet provided public details on potential charges or the suspect’s identity. Reporters at the scene said officers stayed in the neighborhood while investigators processed evidence and documented the case.
How injured K9s are treated
When police dogs are hurt in the line of duty, they are often rushed to emergency veterinary care, and some jurisdictions train EMS crews to deliver basic first aid or transport injured K9s when policy allows. As EMS World reports, “K9 first aid” programs have been adopted in communities that want to ensure canine partners receive rapid, potentially lifesaving treatment. Handlers and departments typically view K9s as full partners, which means quick stabilization and access to veterinary care are high priorities when a dog is injured…