ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg Police K-9 ‘Titan’ is expected to survive injuries he sustained in a shooting early Friday morning.
But officials say it is too early to know if Titan will recover well enough to ever get back on the street.
Heartbreaking images show Titan in a protective kennel wearing a plastic cone, still recovering from a gunshot wound to his front leg.
St. Pete police have 16 K-9 units including Titan, who have been trained to both chase bad guys and sniff out explosives.
So, losing him even temporarily is tough on the department.
“The only time we dual purpose those dogs like that, both patrol and explosives work, is when you see that necessary drive and capability in the dog,” said Lt. David Gerardo, who oversees the unit. “So, that speaks to his ability as a canine.”
Gerardo says for now, they will have to rotate Titan’s shift among the department’s other dogs.
“We will definitely miss him,” said Lt. Gerardo. “We have a number of dual-purpose dogs, and then we have a single purpose explosives dog. So, we are able to make those adjustments in terms of scheduling, so that we can continue to cover the street and cover all the other requirements of special events and what not.”
It’s not as simple as perhaps reaching out to another agency to borrow another K-9 to fill-in.
Canine units are specifically trained to work at their police departments. And state regulations say they must work with the same trainer.
“There is an emotional bond there, of course,” said Gerardo. “These dogs are an asset for the police department, doing police work. But the handlers spend more time with these dogs than they do with their spouse. And their children. So, there’s an emotional bond.”
As cute as they are, the K-9’s are a department asset. A dog like Titan costs between $8,000 and $12,000. There’s also the additional investment involving several months of training.
Titan’s been with the department for about three years.
“And Titan is an active canine out there out on the street,” said Gerardo.
Fortunately, Titan’s injuries are not considered life-threatening, but he’ll need rehab.
Whether he returns to the force is still in question, because there is no room for compromise when it comes to protecting the public and a K9’s handler, Gerardo added.
“We all want to see him return to service,” said Gerardo. “If he was not able to do that, the most likely scenario is that he would be retired and probably remain with the handler as part of the family. First, we will see if Titan is able to return to service. And then we’ll go from there.”
The department has been receiving thousands of well-wishes on social media from people all over the country.
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