"Police dog recovering well after stabbing"

Attribute to Superintendent Tony Hill, Northland District Commander:

A police dog stabbed this morning is recovering well at a local veterinary clinic.

20-month-old Caesar was stabbed twice in the head this morning by a man who was resisting arrest.

Both wounds have been stitched up and an X-ray shows no major damage.

Caesar will undergo a CT scan in the next few days, to confirm there is no permanent damage around his eye.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the veterinarian who assisted Caesar and his handler Constable Josh Van Der Kwaak this morning – their service was simply outstanding.

I would also like to acknowledge the victim of the original burglary complaint, who assisted Constable Van Der Kwaak after Caesar was stabbed.

Caesar and Constable Van Der Kwaak graduated from the Dog Training Centre in Trentham on 6 December and have only been operational together for the last two weeks.

We are hopeful that Caesar will make a full recovery from his injuries and be back on the job shortly.

A 30-year-old man will face charges of burglary and injuring a police dog in relation to this incident.

ENDS

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