“You saved dad, and we have to save you.”
These chilling words were captured by the body camera of Deputy Blaine Evans, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, just moments after his K9 partner Iro, a three-year-old German Shepherd, sustained multiple life-threatening injuries.
Early morning on October 13, 2023, a distressed victim managed to escape a captor who had held her against her will and called 911. In response, Evans and Iro were the first to locate the suspect, who led them on a car chase that ended with him returning to his driveway and crashing through his own garage door. With shots being fired toward him, Evans returned fire and deployed Iro, who was able to provide enough distraction for his partner to reposition and seek a better cover. Iro sustained 3-5 gunshot wounds at close range before the suspect made a final aggressive attempt to flee, crashing backward into the squad car.
As back up began to arrive, protocol was followed to determine the status of the suspect and ensure everyone’s safety. It took many tense minutes for the scene to be secured; in addition to the work at hand, Evans was extremely worried about Iro’s condition. Finally, officers determined the suspect had not survived (a later investigation showed the fatal gunshot wound was self-inflicted). With the suspect’s weapon secured, Evans was finally able to get inside the garage – where he found Iro severely injured.
Thankfully, Charles Beckford of the Fond du Lac Police Department, also a K9 handler, had arrived on the scene. Beckford had already received additional training on critical interim K9 care and had a special medical kit in his car. As they worked fervently to assess Iro’s injuries, stop bleeding and pack wounds, they called in another Sheriff’s deputy and K9 handler, Michael Vis. As quickly as possible, Vis helped Evans and Beckford secure Iro in his squad car and raced to the nearest 24-hour veterinary emergency center, Blue Pearl Pet Hospital in Appleton – where Iro’s immediate care team included Ryan Demianiuk (DVM’08) and Bruce Van Enkevort (DVM’91) among many others.
In a later press conference, Fond du Lac Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt commended Evans and Iro for doing their jobs exactly as trained and thanked partner agencies for support when Iro needed it most. “We had assistance from Wisconsin State Patrol to get traffic out of the way on highway 41, and Grand Chute PD waiting at the off ramp to guide them in.”
As Iro was fighting for his life, another network of dedicated professionals was activated and on their way to assist in any way possible. The mission of OPK9 – the Operational K9 Medical Team of Wisconsin, an independent non-profit organization – is to provide point of injury care education and support for those assisting wounded law enforcement K9s throughout Wisconsin. One of the organization’s founders and current medical director is Lisa Converse (DVM’95), a veterinary emergency and critical care specialist with current responsibilities at multiple colleges of veterinary medicine nationwide including the SVM.
“Law enforcement K9s put their lives on the line daily to protect us and our communities,” Converse says. “Over the past 10 years we’ve worked to complete the circle of K9 medical care by training those at the scene how to provide life-saving techniques, such as hemorrhage control and oxygen supplementation, as you would a human.”
Rebecca Johnson (PhD’02), UWVC anesthesiologist and SVM faculty member, has a long history of working with K9 law enforcement officers and close ties to OPK9. When the call came in about Iro, Johnson got to Blue Pearl in time to administer the anesthesia for his initial life-saving surgeries.
“It has been shown time and time again that communication between organizations is absolutely essential in handling the care and saving the lives of K9 officers,” she says. “Iro’s case is a great example of collaboration among a variety of agencies and providers, as well as how critical response training can be the difference between life and death for K9 officers that protect and serve our communities.”
As news spread, the community rallied around Iro. An artist in the neighborhood immediately created and hung a painting of Iro on a fence, which was turned into posters that eventually hung in the doors and windows of homes and businesses all over the city. Local businesses and organizations raised funds for Iro’s care. One of the vet techs at Blue Pearl arranged for her own dog to donate needed blood.
Iro did his part and defied the odds: after six tenuous days and multiple surgeries, he was stable enough for discharge. As he left Blue Pearl, dozens of officers waited in the parking lot in solidarity.
With a long recovery ahead, Evans and Iro first visited Courtney Arnoldy (BS’94) in December of 2023. Arnoldy, who also earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2009, founded the small animal rehabilitation program at UWVC more than 20 years ago. Iro presented to rehab with weakness, mobility challenges and body awareness limitations. His extensive rehabilitation program since then has focused primarily on his cervical spine and the significant injuries to his right front and hind legs.
Iro with UW Veterinary Care physical therapist Dr. Courtney Arnoldy
“Our goals have been to restore muscle and joint mobility in addition to improving strength, balance and core stability to optimize movement and prevent abnormal compensatory strategies, all in an effort to safely participate in training and eventually return to the job he loves without sustaining injury,” Arnoldy says. “So many individuals have come together to provide the care and expertise to save Iro’s life and assist with a safe recovery. It has been a privilege and honor to be part of Iro’s care team, and to witness the special bond Deputy Evans and Iro have as partners and family.”
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office includes five K9 officers. Evans joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2018, and Iro became their first dual purpose K9 officer when he was paired and trained with Evans in 2022 – formally certified through the American Police Canine Association in drug detection, tracking, handler protection, article searches and criminal apprehension. Now four years old, Iro has been in the process of retraining post-injury and will return to duty this fall.
According to Waldschmidt, “[K9 officers] are a critical part of our operation. They’re a force multiplier with skills and abilities far greater than we have – they can run faster, sniff better and they have unconditional love for their handler. Iro totally exemplifies this, and he did his job perfectly.”
A year after the events that almost took Iro’s life, Evans reflects on what his partner did for him. “There were rounds tracking right alongside the car I was standing behind, and he greatly reduced the rounds that were coming towards me and going out into the surrounding neighborhood,” he says. “Unfortunately, and obviously, that wasn’t the intention. For Iro to still be here … there are just no words for it.”
Maggie Baum
By the Numbers
In 2016, the SVM formalized a program to provide support for law enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin, offering a special discount for K9 and equine officers who receive care at UWVC. As the only tertiary care facility of its kind in the region, UWVC is uniquely equipped to provide compassionate and outstanding care by board-certified experts in more than 20 different specialties. The generosity of SVM donors allows for discretionary gift dollars to provide a 50% discount on services to the care of animals working in Wisconsin law enforcement, along with additional special credits for agencies in Dane County.
- There are more than 300 K9 officers registered in the statewide OPK9 registry
- The average working career of a K9 officer spans about 7-8 years
- More than 60 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin have an active agreement in place for discounted care at UWVC
A Combined Passion: Caring for Animals and Serving the Community
When it comes to how Justine Finerty (DVMx’26) got interested in working with K9 law enforcement dogs, it’s personal. Finerty grew up in a Milwaukee community that was facing significant criminal activity, circumstances that instilled a desire to protect and serve. Then her love of animals and work as a veterinary technician eventually led her to pursue her DVM degree. These combined passions are what inspire her.
“Working with OPK9 and K9 officers is my way to give back to the community. Being able to support these dogs through whatever medical care they may need is just a small deed compared to the service they provide. When treating a K9 officer, I know I’m helping a dog that has likely taken illegal substances off the street and apprehended criminals, as well as being a family member to their handler – not just a partner.”
Therapy Dogs: Other Important Ways to Serve
Earlier this year, our team had the pleasure of meeting Ezmae, a one-year-old Golden Retriever, during her initial wellness visit to UWVC. Shortly after being deemed healthy and ready to serve, Ezmae had her swearing in ceremony as a working therapy dog for the UW-Milwaukee Police Department. Her job is to provide comfort in times of stress or crisis for both officers and the community served by UWMPD. Through the generosity of donors, the SVM has been able to provide discounted veterinary medical care to K9 and Equine officers such as Ezmae.