Derbyshire Police dog stabbed three times during arrest

  • Published
AxleImage source, Derbyshire Police
Image caption,

Police said they had "fingers and paws" crossed for Axle's recovery

A police dog was stabbed three times when armed officers were sent to a disturbance.

PD Axle was injured while assisting police at 18:50 BST in the High Street of Riddings, Derbyshire, on Wednesday.

Derbyshire Police said Axle was making a "good recovery" and thanked the hundreds of good will messages posted on social media.

A 27-year-old man was arrested during the operation. No police officers were injured.

After the attack, Derbyshire Armed Response Unit said PD Axle had been "sedated" and was "awaiting surgery" at a veterinary practice in Derby.

The force said it detained a "dangerous individual" with the help of the National Police Air Service (NPAS) Birmingham.

Image source, Facebook
Image caption,

Hundreds of comments have been left, offering support and demanding action

Facebook posts about the attack and his recovery together got nearly 2,000 comments from as far afield as the US and Australia.

Messages included Leissa Wages saying "Hooray for Axle" and Louise Butler commenting "Fantastic news he deserves a medal and a good rest".

Lucy Conley of the K9 Blood Donor team, external offered its services if Axel needed a transfusion.

On Twitter Scotland Police Dogs said "Thank Goodness Axle is make a good recovery. Sending tartan hugs".

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by PoliceScotlandDogs

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by PoliceScotlandDogs

Craft shop @dragonfliesilk asked for contact details, saying "The children in my sewing group would like to send him some presents".

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2 by Dragonflies

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 2 by Dragonflies

Among the goodwill and support were calls for tough action against people who attack police dogs.

A proposal for a new law to give greater protection to police animals was blocked earlier this month. It was objected to by Conservative MP Christopher Chope, who has a reputation for derailing private members' bills.

Image source, Derbyshire Armed Response Unit
Image caption,

The force said the "dangerous individual" was detained during the attack on PD Axle

Officers said they were called to a "domestic incident" after reports of a disturbance.

"The incident resulted in a large number of officers, including the police helicopter, attending the scene," it said.

"No officers were physically hurt during the incident; however, a police dog was injured and is receiving treatment."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, external, on Twitter, external, or on Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk, external.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.