JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A police service dog owned by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office bit three individuals in a Jacksonville neighborhood, leaving all three victims with non-life-threatening injuries in the 10500 block of Forest Boulevard.
JSO reported that the incident occurred just after 2:00 p.m. when officers responded to a report of an individual being bitten by a loose dog.
Upon arrival, the officers were informed that three individuals had been bitten as they attempted to leash the dog and find its owner. All three victims were taken to local medical facilities to receive treatment for their non-life-threatening injuries.
During the altercation, the dog was also stabbed and required medical attention from a nearby veterinarian.
After conducting an investigation, it was discovered that the dog was actually a K9 service dog owned by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The K9 was able to escape from its kennel in a fenced area and wandered into the neighborhood, where the biting took place.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is conducting an administrative review of the incident to determine how the K9 service dog was able to escape and what could be done to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
The identities of the three individuals who were bitten by the dog have not been released to the public. The extent of their injuries is also unknown at this time.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has not commented on whether the K9 service dog will continue to work in its capacity following the incident.
These attacks highlight the importance of ensuring that dogs, especially those trained for law enforcement, are properly secured and supervised to avoid any potential harm to the public.
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