K-9 Arlo undergoes successful surgeries, is released from hospital

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K-9 Arlo, a police dog with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office who was shot twice last week, is recovering in leaps and bounds according to the sheriff’s office.

Arlo became the focus of intense and widespread support online, as the sheriff’s office provided frequent updates on Arlo’s condition on its K-9 unit Facebook page.

At around 8 p.m. Wednesday, a Thurston County deputy attempted to stop a reckless driver near Cleveland Avenue and Hartman Court in Tumwater. The vehicle fled, and a car chase ensued, according to a TCSO press release. The pursuit led to Interstate 5, at which point Washington State Patrol troopers joined in the chase. The pursuit lasted about 15 minutes and ended on southbound I-5 near milepost 88.

“The subsequent contact with the driver resulted in an officer-involved shooting, during which the 25-year-old male driver and a TCSO K-9 were struck by gunfire,” reads the press release, which does not go into further detail.

The shooting is under investigation by the Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team, an investigatory body made up of area sheriff’s offices. The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is heading the investigation, and a representative from that office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

No further information on the suspect has been released, other than he was transported to a hospital in serious condition. His injuries were described as “survivable” in a WSP press release.

Arlo, who was struck by two bullets, was hospitalized in serious condition. One bullet had passed through his rear left leg and another was lodged in his shoulder. An initial surgery uncovered that the bullet in his shoulder was closer to his spine than expected. He was transported to Oregon State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Corvallis, Oregon — by the Lacey Fire Department — for follow-up surgeries.

Arlo was on the operating table again on Friday. The bullet was removed and multiple damaged vertebrae were fused with screws and cement. Arlo stayed at the OSU vet hospital for a few days with his handler, Deputy Tyler Turpin.

Arlo was released from the hospital today.

Arlo’s recovery became a hot topic on social media. The updates and details of his recovery were posted regularly on the sheriff’s office’s K-9 unit Facebook page, with each update receiving at least a thousand reactions. An Instagram account started with Arlo’s name reached 30,000 followers.

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