Marion County Sheriff’s K-9 shot

A Marion County Sheriff’s Office K-9 recieves emergency care after being shot.

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Posted February 17, 2024 | Staff report

A Marion County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was shot and is receiving emergency care for its injuries on Saturday.

The dog, named Leo, arrived at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine hospital in Gainesville at 11:57 a.m. on Saturday after Marion County Fire Rescue transported the dog from Marion County.

The K-9 was shot while deputies responded to a call at Northeast 144th Court in Silver Springs, where a suspect was accused of battery by strangulation.

The suspect opened fire on the deputies, striking Leo, and the deputies returned fire. The suspect was apprehended and transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased, according to MCSO.

The K-9 was picked up from the UF Pet Emergency Treatment Services in Ocala at 11:30 a.m. MCFR had to swap out equipment to get the dog to the hospital in Gainesville, said MCFR EMT Mike Josey.

As of 1:40 p.m., the K-9 is receiving emergency care, and the veterinary staff is “doing everything possible to save him,” according to MCSO.

Josey, Captain Bethany Smith and Paramedic Caitlin Mays transported Leo. The captain, paramedics and EMT said this was the first K-9 rescue of their careers. Smith and Mays had received training in the past year for events such as what happened today. They said they received the training following legislation passed by Gov. DeSantis in 2021 that increased the level of care for K9s injured in the line of duty.

When Senate bill 388 was passed, the govenror’s office wrote in a press release “when a law enforcement canine is injured while safeguarding our communities, this bill authorizes emergency service vehicles, such as ambulances, to transport police canines to a veterinary clinic to ensure they quickly get the care needed to recover if there is no individual requiring medical attention or transport at that time. The bill also allows emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics to provide emergency medical care to an injured police canine at the scene of an emergency or while the canine is being transported.”