Sheriffs K-9 back on duty after having paw shot in July
FRESNO, Calif. -- K-9 Mikey and his handler, Deputy Sheriff Jerry Kitchens are getting ready for a training exercise. Kitchens signals Mikey to search, and he is off.
Last month this task would have been nearly impossible for Mikey. In July one of his paws was shot while on duty, leaving him forever changed.
"You can see two toes, he did lose two, he lost the two outer toes," said FCSO Deputy Sheriff Jerry Kitchens.
The 6-year-old Dutch shepherd lost his two toes after a dog attacked him while a search warrant was being conducted.
"The other dog was actually biting and actually had a hold of Mikey's neck and face," said Kitchens.
A round was fired at the dog. The bullet went through and hit Mikey on his front right paw.
"I saw his foot explode. I knew that he did have to control the blood loss, so I grabbed his foot and tried to put pressure on it," said Kitchens.
That was the moment right after Mikey was shot.
"As the day kind of started winding down, that is when the emotions started to set in. That is when I obviously knew that he probably was not going to return to work," said Kitchen.
After four long months and several cast changes, Mikey is back on duty.
"He is the way he was minus two toes," said Kitchens.
Mikey has been with the sheriff's office for three years and now that recovered he can serve for many years to come.
