HOUSTON – Almost a week ago, K-9 Officer Nate with the Houston Police Department was stabbed by a suspect.
On Thursday, KPRC 2 caught up with the pup and his handler, Officer Paul Foster. The pair are best friends and Foster says they do everything together.
“We go to work, we come home together. We play together in the backyard,” Foster said.
Foster considers Nate to be a part of his family.
“We really do have a bond,” he added. “We can tell each other what we are thinking before I even give him a command.”
The 4-year-old old Belgium Malinois has been catching the bad guys for HPD for the past three years. He also responds to all of the SWAT scenes.
“He’s a pretty special guy,” Foster said.
Believe it or not, the playful dog is recovering and doing well after being stabbed in the chest by a suspect on Saturday.
Foster says initially, he panicked, but he used his skills to slow down the bleeding and rushed his partner to the Vergi Animal Hospital, where veterinarians saved his life.
“I don’t have enough good things to say about them. They are amazing,” Foster said.
He also credits the hospital for saving another K-9 dog he has named T-Rex. He lost one of his legs to cancer a few years ago and was also hurt trying to chase a suspect.
“On his last night of service to Houston, he was chasing a suspect and sliced his stomach open substantially on a fence and still caught the suspect,” Foster said.
Both K-9′s are home doing what dogs love to do - play.
Foster says he’s grateful K-9 Nate will make a full recovery.
“If you would have told me a couple of days ago that he would be in this condition, I wouldn’t believe you,” he said.
Foster says Nate will continue to recover and be back on the street in about two months.