SCARBOROUGH, Maine — A Maine police K-9 is almost ready to return to duty.
Gunther’s handler says he’s recovering at home now after a suspect stabbed him twice following a day-long standoff.
York Police K-9 Gunther is looking healthy and is almost out of recovery.
He’s been resting up and has been preparing to return back to duty.
On Nov. 18, six-year-old Gunther was stabbed twice during a 10-hour stand-off in Cornish.
York Police Sergeant Jon Rogers, Gunther’s handler, was there by his side.
“My job at that point was trying to keep Gunther as safe as I possibly can,” Rogers said.
Police say the suspect, Edward Kalinoski, who appeared unarmed at first, stabbed Gunther in two of his legs.
Rogers says he pulled the dog back to safety, got him into his cruiser and bandaged him up.
Luckily, Gunther’s injuries were not life-threatening and after a trip to the emergency vet, he has now been in recovery for five days.
“First couple days, he was definitely a lot slower, wasn’t walking around as well,” Rogers said. “But once he started feeling better, swelling going down, then it’s been a matter of keeping him from hurting himself. Their drive is so high that they’re willing to always work.”
Gunther is able to stand up and walk around.
“We are fortunate that we missed injuring ligaments or any major muscles and stuff. We got pretty lucky, so recovery time is a lot faster,” Rogers said.
Gunther will return to the York Police Department the first week of December.
The York County Sheriff’s Office says the suspect will face additional charges related to the assault on Gunther.