A police dog who was stabbed in the head while on duty, is back at work after recovering quicker than expected. PD Audi was wounded with a knife on 1 July, while the officer he was with was reportedly assaulted.
Staffordshire Police received a wave of support from well wishers, who sent cards and hampers to the dog following the horrific incident.
But now, three weeks on from the attack, Audi is back on the beat with his handler, PC Mander.
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Confirming the fantastic news, he said: "Fortunately, Audi hasn't taken as long to recover from his injury as we at first feared.
"He's had lots of rest and TLC and luckily he has recovered well and there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage to him.
"I have to say, we were really touched by the cards and 'get well' messages people sent to Audi. I think it shows that the public values the work our police dogs do.
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"We'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who sent something to Audi, it really was appreciated."
Dan O'Sullivan, from Liverpool, was arrested and charged with having caused unnecessary suffering to a police dog. The 29-year-old also reportedly attacked five police officers.
At the time of the incident, Staffordshire Police tweeted: "The police dog who was stabbed in Hanley earlier this afternoon, is now in a stable condition. PD Audi is a member of the Staffs Police family, we'll be monitoring his progress closely & keeping you updated. Thank you for all your well wishes for Audi & his handler."
According to reports, O'Sullivan may be the first person to face charges under a new law designed to protect service animals, Finn's Law, which came into being on 8 June this year.
It all started with police dog Finn, who was stabbed in the chest and head while trying to protect his handler, PC David Wardell, back in 2016. Thankfully Finn made a full recovery, and the pair went on to appear on Britain's Got Talent this year.
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In many people's opinion, the 16-year-old who stabbed poor Finn got off way too lightly, having only been charged with criminal damage, as a result of the status animals then held within the police force. It was one of the only available charges for anyone who killed or injured a police animal.
The Finn's Law website reads: "On 5 October 2016, Police Dog Finn was viciously stabbed on duty with a 10 inch hunting knife while detaining a robbery suspect.
"Although Finn had sustained life-threatening injuries from the first attack, he bravely dived in front of the second thrust, aimed directly for PC Dave Wardell, his handler and dad."
We're thrilled that both Finn and Audi made full recoveries.
Featured Image Credit: Staffordshire PoliceTopics: Interesting, Animals
