Editor's Note: K9 Arlo returned to Thurston County after surgery at Oregon State University on Monday afternoon after The Chronicle's press deadline. Emergency vehicles lines overpasses above Interstate 5 as the vehicle carrying Arlo returned up the interstate. Here's a statement from the sheriff's office:
"I would like to start this out by apologizing to everyone that this update is after the fact and therefore those of you that wanted to participate in his welcome home ceremony were not able to. The logistics of coordinating what we managed to pull off was difficult at best and we were barely able to pull it off due to the lack of advanced notice when K-9 Arlo would officially get released. This morning at approximately 10:30 AM K-9 Arlo was released from OSU Veterinary Hospital and headed for home. Nearly the entire trip home K-9 Arlo and Deputy Turpin had a Police Escort with lights and sirens, starting from OSU by the OSU PD. When Deputy Turpin and K-9 Arlo arrived home, they were greeted by neighbors, friends, firefighters, fellow K-9 handlers from multiple organizations from local and surrounding counties and a multitude of law enforcement officers from all local agencies and surrounding county and police agencies. It was quite humbling! Arlo is currently at home resting with his family. Thank you all for your support, prayers and concern!"
Arlo, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office K9 who was shot Jan. 13 following a vehicle pursuit that ended in Grand Mound, is expected to return home this week and is on the road to recovery.
Arlo went in for surgery at the Oregon State University School of Medicine late last week to remove the bullet from near his spine and mend the surrounding fractured vertebrae.
“Post operation the neurosurgeon said that they could not have predicted that the outcome of this would be as good as it turned out,” the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit posted in a Facebook update at 10 p.m. on Jan. 15.
Some bullet fragments in his neck were too dangerous for surgeons to access, but they aren’t anticipated to cause problems in the future.
A second bullet caused a wound on Arlo’s leg and narrowly missed his knee. Had it hit the knee, surgeons said that amputation would have been likely, according to the Facebook update.
With the bullet gone and six screws and surgical medical cement in his neck, Arlo was left to rest and start his rehabilitation.
Arlo was up and walking by the next morning after his surgery as thousands of commenters on social media offered encouragement and sent him prayers and well-wishes for a speedy recovery. The K9 unit started the hashtag #arlostrong to track Arlo’s progress.
As of Sunday morning (the most recent update before press time), Arlo was doing “better than expected” and his caregivers expected him to be released from OSU care as soon as Monday.
The chase and subsequent shooting is being investigated by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect — who was also shot and is described only as a 25-year-old male — has not been identified by the sheriff’s office. His condition is unknown, though the sheriff’s office described his injuries as “survivable.” It also hasn’t been announced whether Arlo was struck by gunfire by the suspect, who was said to be armed, or by responding deputies.
Updates will be posted online at www.chronline.com.
