"The bullet struck the upper part of his left shoulder, entered, luckily hit no bone, caused no serious damage to the soft tissue,” said K-9 Officer Steve Sturm, “The bullets been removed. It fragmented in two pieces. Both pieces have been removed and his recovery's doing excellent."
Police rushed the German shepherd to the Falls Road Animal Hospital on Sunday night after an officer shot the canine when it mistook him for a fugitive and attacked him during a search for a suspect in South Baltimore.
The dog’s plight has drawn the concern of people throughout the city.
"We had a little one call the other day just checking to see how the status of the dog was," said animal hospital employee Cathy West, "We've had several calls after that. Lots actually."
"Blade" is one of 16 dogs in the city police canine unit, and the shooting has taken its toll on his handler of four years as well.
"It's just like your child,” said Sturm, “You spend more time with the dogs, than you do your family. You're at work with them for eight hours or more a day. When you get home, they're still your responsibility. They're a part of the family."
In a few weeks, officers will test “Blade” to see if he has any adverse reaction to gunfire or loud noise before he can return to duty.
