K9 dogs are some of the toughest animals on the planet.

They are trained and bred for the purpose of taking down some criminals! With their special senses, a K9 is an extremely valuable part of any police team that uses them. Want even more proof of how awesome they are? They love to snuggle, too!

While these dogs can seem scary and are highly trained, they are still dogs.

Alongside their barking and chase-down instinct is that same playfulness that any puppy would have. Honestly, K9 dogs are just dogs who have had their natural drives directed with some training. They still love to play, snuggle, and beg for treats!

Knowing just how sweet they are can make seeing them get hurt incredibly tough.

It’s dangerous to work as a police officer or K9. They are often in the life of fire and are at risk of injury or death on a daily basis. Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen, does. Recently, one K9 had a close encounter with death.

In Durham, North Carolina, Daro the K9 dog was shot while in pursuit of an armed criminal.

Captain Brian Reitz of the Durham Police Department and a few other officers responded to a call for a man on Morehead Avenue. The man was wanted for multiple acts of larceny and had run away into a wooded area nearby.

When the officers saw the man run into the woods they brought out the big guns.

The big guns of course being Daro! Dogs can track a man through the woods better than another human ever could. Their sense of smell is unparalleled and perfect for tracking someone.

How far can a German shepherd smell? German Shepherds have 225 million scent receptors. This makes them as one of the best breeds overall for their sense of smell, being able to detect scents over a mile away on land, up to 40 feet underground and in 80 feet of water! Their sense of smell tie with beagles are second only to bloodhounds, which have 300 million scent receptors! – Outdoor Dog Fun

As they tracked the man, he turned and fired a shot, hitting Daro.

The poor pup took a bullet while he was working and went into emergency surgery at Triangle Veterinary Referral Hospital. The search continued as they operated on Daro. When people heard the sad news, they wanted to see if there were any updates.

Finally, we got an update.

“It’s gut-wrenching, it really is. It’s just like another officer getting hurt,” Kirby said.

Despite the wound, Daro is in full recovery! He should be totally fine and recover. It doesn’t make things any easier for the officers, however. Seeing a K9 get hurt like that is really painful.

“It’s such a tight bond, people don’t really understand how tight of a bond it is,” Kirby said. “We try to protect them as much as they try to protect us.”

As long as nothing changes, Daro will be back to normal soon.

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Source: WRAL, Outdoor Fun Dog