Dog donates blood to K-9 shot during critical incident

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Tuesday, October 17 2023
National Desk

The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, sheriff’s office K-9 is on the mend thanks to a blood donation from a yellow lab named Dwyer.

The K-9 was shot during a critical incident early Saturday morning, in which deputies exchanged gunfire with a man. The man died at the scene. His identity has not yet been released.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.

The Fond du Lac sheriff said he could not release the name of the K9 or the deputy involved because of the ongoing investigation.

The K9 suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area veterinary hospital.

According to a Facebook post, Fond du Lac Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt said a technician at the veterinary hospital offered up her dog Dwyer, who has the same blood type as the injured K9, to donate blood so that the K9 could have surgery.

The sheriff shared a picture of the K9 gnawing on his favorite toy, a tennis ball, before surgery. He said the K9 remains in serious but stable condition post-surgery. Adding, “he is by no means out of the woods, but he’s a young, healthy, strong dog.”

Monday night, the sheriff posted an update saying the K9 was tired, but awake and remains stable with no major setbacks.

“He even lifted his head when he spotted his favorite toy – the tennis ball.”

The sheriff also thanked the community for its overwhelming support. He said the department has received numerous inquiries about how to donate to the K9 program, which is 100% donor-funded, or to help with the dog’s medical bills.

If you would like to donate to support these teams, you can write a check to “FDL Sheriff K9 Program” and mail it to:

FDL Sheriff K9 Program

PO Box 1273

Fond du Lac, WI 54936-1273

Additionally, if you prefer to donate with a check or by credit card, donations can be processed over the phone by calling 920-929-3372.