UPDATE: 14-year-old charged after Calgary police dog stabbed during arrest
A Calgary police service dog was seriously injured during an arrest in the northeast community of Falconridge Sunday morning.
Just before 2 a.m. police were called to a break-and-enter at Grant MacEwan School.
Once on scene, police set up containment and two suspects, both male youths, fled the school.
The K9 unit was called in, and during a foot chase, one of the suspects stabbed a police service dog multiple times in the head.
The dog was taken for surgery to an emergency veterinary hospital in life-threatening condition, but its condition was later upgraded to serious.
The German Shepherrd, named Jester, has been with the force for five years. Lines said he is now up and walking around and back with his owner.
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“Canines are essentially our partners,” Acting Staff Sgt. James Lines said.
“The canine handler I know quite well, and he’s taking it pretty hard but Jester is going to be fine.”
One of the suspects was injured in the chase, but Lines didn’t know the nature of his injuries or whether he was bitten.
He added it’s uncertain at this point if Jester will be able to return to full duty, but the force remains hopeful.
Both suspects were taken into custody, and Lines said the young men will both be charged with break-and-enter.
The suspect that allegedly stabbed Jester will also be charged under a new section of the Criminal Code, Section 445, that deals with injuring a police animal in the execution of its duties. That charge holds a maximum sentence of five years.
“Our police service dogs… they are a tool for us,” Lines said.
“They are deployed quite often, whether for doing a search or apprehending a suspect
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