A three-year-old police K-9 is now recovering from injuries after being stung by bees at least 60 times while on duty.
The K-9 and her handler were helping patrol officers locate two people who were suspected of committing a residential burglary. (The first suspect was found and apprehended.)
While searching for the second suspect in steep terrain, the K-9 and her handler were attacked by a swarm of bees. The handler got stung about 20 times but was able to recover from his injuries. However, the K-9 was much less fortunate and she went into anaphylactic shock after being stung at least 60 times.
The K-9 was transported to a pet clinic where she was given an emergency blood transfusion. After performing a series of tests, her doctors discovered that she had severe liver and lung damage.
The dog is now in stable but guarded condition, according to the police.
“She’s doing a lot better in some regards and some other aspects she’s not doing as well as she was when she first came in,” sad Dr. Eugenia Nieto of the Inland Valley Emergency Pet Clinic. “Overall her demeanor is better, she’s up and walking, brighter; but she still has issues with her lungs and her platelet count is quite low.”
Her Doctors are optimistic about her recovery and hope that she may be able to return to police work.
Treatment of the K-9 may need to continue for another few weeks. The police officer’s association started a fund raising drive and their goal was to raise $10,000 to cover her medical expenses. As of today, they have exceeded that goal by raising over $19,500.
