Yarmouth Police Dog Needs Surgery After Tackling Suspect
YARMOUTH (CBS) -- A Yarmouth police dog who was injured while putting a domestic violence suspect in custody now needs thousands of dollars worth of surgery, and the department is raising money to cover the bill.
Clark, a 7-year-old German shepherd, was hurt when police arrested Joseph Hattabaugh on March 16.
Police say Hattabaugh severely beat a woman and was holding her against her will in South Yarmouth. The woman was able to get out, but Hattabaugh would not come out of the home when police arrived.
After several hours of negotiation and being able to get into the home, Officer Marc Thibeault and Clark went into the room and took Hattabaugh into custody.
But during the struggle, Clark's lower back was injured and now requires surgery, which is expected to cost $6,000.
Clark is expected to be able to return to full police duty in four months.
The department is proud of Clark's work, saying he's had more than 100 successful tracks including finding a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run motorcycle crash and finding an attempted murder suspect.
Anyone wanting to donate to the department to help pay for Clark's surgery can do so through Yarmouth Police's Facebook page or sending a check to:
Friends of Yarmouth Police K9 Unit
One Brad Erickson Way
West Yarmouth, MA 02673
