Los Banos Police K-9 in need of life saving surgery

LOS BANOS, Calif. (KFSN) -- In April, Officer Braeden Gomes was selected as a K-9 handler at the Los Banos Police Department.

After a few months of research, he met this guy, a Belgian Malinois named Dux.

"He was sitting at my side, looking up at me like a dog that's been with a handler for a year or two, and that was in 30 minutes. Right then and there, I looked at my supervisor and said, 'Dux, is going home with me. This is the one.'," said Gomes.

He spent the next couple of months bonding with Dux.

The officer and his devoted dog started K-9 training at the end of September, but Gomes soon noticed the one-and-a-half-year-old pup wasn't his playful self.

After a visit to the vet and several tests, he was diagnosed with having the parasite Giardia. But even after medication, his health continued to decline to the point where Dux could no longer stand on his own.

Officer Gomes decided to take his future patrol partner to UC Davis on Monday, leading to a shocking revelation about why Dux kept getting worse.

"At some point, he inhaled a foxtail through his nose, which went through his lung system, pierced his lung and went into his spinal area, causing two abscesses, one is in his lung, and also another in a portion of his spine which led to all these further issues," said Gomes.

UC Davis Dr. Erik Olstad isn't treating Dux but has treated several other dogs suffering from encounters with the spikey plants.

"They can range anywhere in severity from a quick vet visit, I removed one from an ear canal, all the way up to where animals need to get lungs removed, or even worse, euthanized or die from the consequences of aware this foxtail has traveled," said Dr. Olstad.

Officer Gomes secured a grant through UC Davis to pay for some of the vet bills, and the police department exhausted all of the available funding to help. But a life-saving surgery could still cost tens of thousands of dollars more.

The agency ultimately agreed to retire Dux, so Gomes could pursue more options as his owner and fellow officers started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Dux's care.

"I felt it was important to do what we could as a police officer association president in order to get Dux the medical care that he needed," said Los Banos Detective Michael Neal.

Dux could still become a working dog.

Officer Gomes said he plans to do whatever he can to ensure the happiness of his furry friend.

"He has a long way to recovery, but the main thing is to get him back to where he can run around, play again, he could just be a dog," said Gomes.

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