K9 Dennis jumps around the obstacle course at the Phoenix Police Department's Regional K9 Training Center. He's healthy, happy, and a little yappy.
It's hard to believe that just last month this same police dog was shot in the line of duty—a single round that went through his lip and then down into his chest, where it fragmented into four pieces.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 3, 2020, K9 Dennis led officers into an apartment where witnesses said there may be an armed suspect. The police dog searched the front rooms before moving toward the back of the apartment. That's when the suspect fired. K9 Dennis was hit, but officers were not.
The dog was rushed to the hospital by his handler. He received stitches, and eventually went home for rest and rehabilitation. His handler said after a couple days, the six-year-old Malinois was showing signs of recovery. After a few weeks, he was nearly back to himself.
Once K9 Dennis was physically well enough, he went through some training with his handler—including gun fire training, building search training, and bite work—to make sure he was mentally fit to return to the job. He passed all those with flying colors, and is officially back to duty, protecting and serving the City of Phoenix.
Republished courtesy of Phoenix Police Department.