Dante, Injured Lynwood Police K9 Officer, Is 'Continuing To Make Great Strides'
LYNWOOD, Ill. (CBS) -- An advocacy agency said this weekend that Dante, the Lynwood police K9 officer who suffered a serious injury recently, is "continuing to make great strides."
The group Protecting K9 Heroes said Saturday that Dante is walking unassisted and moving forward during physical therapy. The group released a video showing Dante walking.
Dante also got a Valentine's Day card from his favorite people that read, "Police Be My Valentine," the group said.
Dante has helped track down missing kids and violent criminals. But after a severe injury, Lynwood police hadn't been sure he'd ever walk again.
Dante had a serious accident late last month. Lynwood police Officer Luke Tambrini threw Dante's ball and it bounced off the ground sideways into some park equipment.
He injured his vertebrae and was in such pain that he could not walk, police said.
Officer Tambrini rushed Dante to emergency care. More visits led him to a neurologist and a possible recovery bill of more than $10,000.
While the police department did not have a budget for such an expense, Staci Goveia, founder of Protecting K9 Heroes, started a GoFundMe for Dante's care. It didn't take long to raise the funds.
Officer Dante will be in recovery for the foreseeable future. From there, they'll his decide next steps.
