GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Green Bay K-9 Pyro is ready to go back to work after being injured while on duty.
“The support from the community has been overwhelming.”
Green Bay Police says Pyro will go back to a light controlled and limited work schedule just weeks after being stabbed in the neck while attempting to apprehend a suspect.
His handler Scott Salzman says some of the night is still kind of a blur, but many hands helped him get through it.
“There are a lot of things that went right that night and I would love to take the credit for being quick on my feet, but honestly, I went a little foggy there and some other officers were there to get me focused.”
Salzman was the one who applied the initial first aid to Pyro based on his stop the bleeding training, but that was after officers were able to stop the threat with the help of the K-9.
“There was a clear transition and that was after we got the suspect in custody. I could hear Pyro coughing and see him coughing up blood and I knew that he was not just hurt, but seriously hurt.” He says the quick turnaround for Pyro is surprising given the situation, but not surprising given how tough the two-year-old dog is.
“We are 14 days out and he is back in the car, and if you think of us as a human, I’m not sure we would be able to do that.”
He says it was a scary night, but yet a career night for his K-9.
“We have been working hard for a moment like this and when you can go back and look at it and say my dog did what he was supposed to do and even though he was hurt, he stayed with the man until I told him not to, that is a proud dad moment.”
Police Chief Andrew Smith is convinced that is Pyro did not act as trained, there would have likely been an officer-involved shooting.
