Donations collected to care for severely injured police dog
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – The newly welcomed K-9 in the Zionsville Police Department survived life-threatening injuries when she was hit by a pickup truck playing ball with her handler.
Jelka, the 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, has undergone several major and costly surgeries since the accident on May 15, according to ZPD.
A member of the Zionsville community launched an online fundraising campaign for the dog’s care through which the department said it has received a large amount of support.
The GoFundMe page lists $6,000 as a collection goal.
The page’s description claims ZPD ran out of money to care for Jelka and another K-9 also requiring its own medical treatment.
ZPD said Jelka suffered a compound fracture in her left hind leg and a hold in her abdomen that pushed her organs forward, making it hard to breathe.
“Jelka is such an amazing member of the ZPD family. Jelka fought so very hard to live even when her condition was horribly dire,” Zionsville Police Chief Robert Knox wrote on the department’s Facebook page. “Our main concern is her health and quality of life.”
Jelka was introduced as the department’s new K-9 in October 2016. The department initially said it did not know whether the dog would be able to return to duty once fully recovered.