GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Green Bay Police Department is reporting that injured K9 officer Pyro is making good recovery progress.
Pyro underwent surgery Monday morning after suffering three severe stab wounds to the neck Sunday night during an arrest on Western Avenue and then was rushed back under the knife for the second time shortly after.
“Somehow his stomach twisted and that can be a fatal injury for a canine if it is not taken care of quickly, said Lt. Jody Buth who heads up the Green Bay Police Department K9 unit.
After two surgery’s things have been going good for Pyro.
“They got him standing and had him sitting for awhile.”
Buth says his handler Officer Salzmann also was able to take him on a short walk.
“It’s a big first step for him as he tries to recover.”
Buth added that for now, they are keeping movement at a minimum.
Pyro is tough and is slowly starting to become his old self again.
“When his playful personality starts coming out again, you know he is feeling a little better, but for his best interest, we are trying to keep him from overexerting himself.”
Buth says while things are progressing, the stab wound to the throat area did cause damage to Pyro’s esophagus.
“That is the one injury that is rather concerning because the need to have Pyro eat and maintain his weight to help him recover from this.”
Although he is young, Pyro is described as one tough dog.
“He has a long career ahead of him so we don’t want to rush him back and not get the full lifespan out of him”, Buth said. “He is a tough dog, he has a strong personality and he has a handler to match.”
Once Pyro is in the clear, Buth says the procedure will be a thorough recovery process.
“We will probably run him through tests to see where he is at as time goes by and use talk to the veterinarians and go with their advisement as to when he comes back.”
So far, many have expressed concern for Pyro, some are donating money and posts of support are being made all over social media.
