By Sean F. Driscoll
Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.
WEST YARMOUTH, Mass. — Yarmouth K-9 Officer Sean Gannon’s police dog, Nero, survived a surgery Friday for injuries he received in the Thursday shooting that killed Gannon, according to a Facebook post from the Yarmouth Police Department.
According to a post from the Dennis Veterinary Hospital, Nero, who was shot in the head and neck, was stabilized at the scene of the Marstons Mills shooting by the Cape Cod Regional Law Enforcement Council SWAT Team and then taken to an emergency veterinary facility. He was later transferred to a surgical facility and was described as “stable but not out of the woods.”
Peter McClelland, a retired Yarmouth police officer who served in the K-9 unit, was with Nero throughout the night, according to the hospital’s post.
"(He) remains with him, rubbing his head, this morning, with no plans of leaving his side today,” the post states. “Those that know Peter — this is not a surprise.”
The dog is under “full 24/7 law enforcement protection” and will remain in the care and control of the Yarmouth Police Department’s K-9 Unit and K-9 units across New England, according to the Police Department.
Nero is a 28-month-old Belgian Malinois certified in tracking, criminal apprehension, evidence recovery, crowd control and handler protection, according to a statement the Yarmouth police issued when the dog joined the department a year ago.
©2018 Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.