Burglary suspect shoots Fort Lauderdale police dog: officials
.jpg "A burglary suspect shot a K9 unit dog on Saturday, April 18, 2026, while fleeing from officers, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said.")
A burglary suspect shot a police dog Saturday night while fleeing from officers, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said.
Fort Lauderdale police officers responded to a report of a possible burglary at 7:24 p.m. on the 1600 block of Northwest 16th Court, the department said.
Officers set up a perimeter with helicopter support from the Broward Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit.
While officers were investigating, a suspect tried to flee, the department said. The individual, who was not identified by authorities, fired a gun, striking a the police dog.
“The injured K-9 was transported by its handler to an emergency veterinary hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound and is expected to survive,” the department said.
With the assistance of another police dog, the suspect was arrested and taken to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment of a dog bite, the department said. Officers recovered a gun from the area.
Police aren’t looking for other suspects, and there wasn’t additional information available Sunday, the department said. The investigation is ongoing.
