Odin is a K9 cop in Coos County, Oregon. His work day ended painfully on Saturday while in pursuit of a suspect. He encountered a porcupine while hot on the trail. The poor pup is shown here with over 200 quills lodged in his mouth, face, and paws.
The Chase Was On!
The suspect, 29-year old Devin Moss, was on foot after fleeing a deputy earlier that day. Odin was deployed to detain the suspect, who was wanted on several felony charges. The search was immediately suspended and Odin was taken to Hanson-Meekins Animal Hospital in Coos Bay for treatment.
The K9 Officer was sedated while the team at Hanson-Meekins went to work. It took more than two hours to remove the quills. Porcupine quills do not contain poison. The biggest threat to an animal pierced by them is infection as the quills penetrate rather deeply into the tissue.
The sheriff’s office released a statement on Monday saying, “The sheriff’s office would like to offer thanks to the staff at Hansen-Meekins for their dedication and professional care, as well as to the public for the outpouring of support for K-9 Odin.”
The suspect is still at large. “The Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Mr. Wilson as he has committed new crimes and still has outstanding warrants,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Odin Will Fight Another Day!
The Coos County Sheriff’s office reported that Odin is recovering well and will be back at work later this week. “Odin is doing very well, and is recovering at home,” said Capt. Gabriel Fabrizio. “He will have a follow-up check in one week to ensure there are no issues with his left eye, which was barely missed by some quills, but appears OK at this time.” He sure looks handsome and happy in this shot taken on Tuesday.
Odin is a Belgium Mallnois and has impressive stats as a K9 dog, with over 70 take downs and successful apprehensions after tracking a suspect. He is pictured here in 2018, shortly before getting a new 4-legged partner to assist in the amazing work handled by the K9 unit in Coos County.
Toledo, United States.
