Retired police dog Vice got a few extra pats from owner Feilding Sergeant Phil Gillbanks after the shooting of police dog Gage in Christchurch.
Gage was shot dead and his handler, Senior Constable Bruce Lamb, 51, was shot in the jaw in the Christchurch suburb of Phillipstown on Tuesday.
Mr Gillbanks, who was a dog handler for 10 years, said he knew Mr Lamb well as they had both attended dog-handling courses.
"He is an elder statesman of the dog-handling business and was very helpful to the younger handlers, and he's also a really nice guy."
News of Gage's death was a shock to all police, but dog handlers would take it especially hard, Mr Gillbanks said.
"[Dog handlers] are often at the sharp end of the stick. It makes you realise how fragile life is and how close to that line you are in the environment we work in."
Gage was shot while trying to protect his handler, which all police dogs are trained to do, Mr Gillbanks said.
Sergeant Lance Kennedy, who heads the Manawatu and Whanganui dog units, said his heart dropped when he heard about Gage's death.
Dog handlers throughout the country, including Manawatu and Whanganui, had sent messages of support to both officers, their families and the Christchurch dog section, he said.
"It's always a horrible feeling when any police officer gets injured or shot. And we've had a few in my 18 years.
"It's a reality check of the dangers of the job."
Mr Kennedy said police dogs began training when they were about eight months old and could work until they were eight. The dogs became part of the family.
Police Commissioner Howard Broad called for a new police firearms policy to be implemented by the year's end after the shootings.
Palmerston North area commander Inspector Pat Handcock would not comment on the proposed policy changes, but said he would be interested to see the outcome of the shooting investigation.
Six-year-old Gage was the 23rd police dog to die in the line of duty and the seventh to be shot dead.
By JONATHON HOWE
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