A Fort Lauderdale Police Department K-9 officer is back home, recovering after he was shot in the shoulder while apprehending a burglary suspect Saturday.
K-9 officer Appie, a Belgian Malinois, received a hero’s welcome from fellow officers after his successful five-hour surgery.
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bill Schultz praised the dog’s bravery. “Today, we celebrate not just survival, but heroism. Appie, he is, and always will be our canine hero,” Schultz said.
The shooting occurred as Appie pursued suspect Christian Bouie. “As Appie was making contact with the suspect, the suspect produced a firearm and fired two rounds, striking our canine,” said Sgt. Dan Geiger of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. “The suspect then fled the area.”
The bullet’s impact broke Appie’s humerus in two places, requiring vets to insert screws to repair the bone. Dr. Kevin Frame, a surgeon at Blue Pearl Pet Hospital, said Appie was fortunate.
“I actually think he was very fortunate. It seems like the bullet actually ricocheted off the bone and caused the break instead of kind of going right through it,” Frame said.
Medical Director Dr. Sagen Woolery emphasized the severity of the injury. “Although it injured his arm an inch one direction or another, this could have been a life-ending injury for him,” Woolery said.
Appie, who is described as loving all the attention, still faces a long road to recovery. Vets believe he will need up to 12 weeks for recovery and will require physical therapy at least twice a week for the foreseeable future.
“Everybody looks at him as a dog, but he’s one of us,” Geiger said. “He’s an officer with us. He’s our partner, and we’re going to stand by him through this whole thing.”
