Jordan, a German Shepherd dog working with Salem County Police Department in New Jersey, was wounded in the line of duty on Jan. 26, but is expected to make a full recovery, according to attending veterinarians at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania (Ryan-VHUP).
 
The K9 officer was shot in the chest while serving with a SWAT team that was resolving a hostage situation in Salem, New Jersey. Jordan’s handler, Officer Bill Robinson, was also grazed by a bullet in the shooting and treated at the scene.  
 
Jordan was admitted to Ryan-VHUP’s Emergency Service and was transferred to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit where he was treated and kept under observation for bruised lungs. He was released on Jan. 30, with the expectation he will return to the hospital within the next two weeks to assess next steps and coordinate plans for surgery, if necessary, to have the bullet removed. Surgeons did not immediately remove it during Jordan’s initial care, as its presence did not pose a risk to his health.
 
Ryan-VHUP veterinarians regularly treat K9 officers in the Philadelphia region. One recent patient was a New Castle County Police Department K9, Diablo, who was shot in the hind leg and shoulder last November. After several weeks’ stay in Ryan-VHUP’s ICU, Diablo was released to the care of his handler to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation process. Today, the dog is doing well.

Video of Diablo’s rehab treatment is available here: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/PennVet/News/Diablo/tabid/1519/Default.aspx