LAKE MARY, Fla. – Lake Mary police said one of their K-9 officers attacked another dog over the weekend at a boarding facility while his handler was out of town.
According to a police report filed this week with the Lake Mary Police Department, the incident happened Sunday morning at Lake Emma Animal Hospital.
The report states K-9 unit Rex was moved to an outdoor cage at the facility and "the gate was not secured." Police said moments after Rex was placed in the cage, "he somehow unlatched" the gate.
A golden doodle named Milo was also outside, placed in a gate not far from from Rex.
Surveillance video obtained shows the moment Rex opened his gate and ran to Milo's gate. According to the video, a staff member was in the process of taking Milo out when Rex attacked the other dog. The police report states Rex "bit Milo."
The video shows the staff member tried to pull Milo back into the cage for safety, but Rex followed them. Rex was latched onto the other dog and did not let go. The staff member tried separating the dogs by pulling them into the building.
According to a report from the animal hospital, the staff member called for help. Another staffer arrived and tried to pull the dogs apart.
Staff wrote Rex was latched onto Milo's neck. Video shows the two employees struggled to separate the dogs.
The animal hospital report states a staffer grabbed a hose, sprayed Rex in the face, and then the police dog let go of Milo.
According to the animal hospital report, staff did not see any injuries on Milo at the time of the incident. On Monday, as they were getting ready to give Milo a bath, staff wrote they checked Milo's neck again and that's when they noticed "a single puncture wound on the front of [Milo's] neck."
Staff wrote in the report that a doctor was notified and Milo was treated.
According to the Lake Mary police report, Milo's owners picked him up Monday. The officer noted in the report that Milo "appeared in good health and was energetic." The police report states that the veterinarian placed Milo on antibiotics and "offered to suture the wound, but advised against it due to the possibility of infection." The owners declined the offer, the report said.
Officials with the animal hospital wrote in their report that Rex was a "first time boarder" and they were "unaware that he knew how to open gates."
Lake Mary police said Rex joined the force a month ago and is still in training. A spokesperson said this incident will not affect his job status. Police said Rex was staying at the facility while his handler was out of town.
Milo's owner told News 6 he had no comment about the incident. It is unclear if any charges will be filed or any legal action will be taken.
News 6 asked the animal hospital if staff did not follow protocol, if any policies will be changed in light of the incident and if the hospital is covering the injured dog's medical expenses. Officials with the hospital said it has no comment.
Lake Mary police declined interview requests regarding this incident.