Good Dogs Doing Good Work

Indiana has all the good news about Man's Best Friend.

Pit bull credited for fire rescue

KOKOMO, Ind. -- A pit bull named Kadense saved a 70-year-old man from an apartment fire when she started barking, howling and jumping to alert people to the blaze.

Jason McKoon said he saw the dog "flipping out" early Tuesday morning near a door and he knew something wasn't right. The 19-year-old walked outside to find the whole side of a nearby apartment and shed on fire.

"My buddy called 911, and I went and pounded on my uncle's door," McKoon said.
He then managed to lead his uncle, Bruce Price, safely down the apartment stairs.

...

"One of the firefighters I talked to said if it wasn't for that dog, my uncle wouldn't have made it," Carroll McKoon said. "She dearly loves Uncle Bruce. He brings her treats all the time."

She called Kadense a sweetheart and noted that pit bulls could use some good publicity.

"She loves everybody," McKoon said. "They say a lot of bad things about pit bulls, here's one that did so good."

And:

Wounded police dog kept up job before dying

Though shot in the chest and bleeding, Bo, an 8-year-old Indianapolis metropolitan police dog, continued to do his job Thursday to subdue a suspected burglar.

He then died at the feet of officer Scott Johnson, his partner of six years.

Clinton Drew Hernandez, 21, was arrested after Johnson shot him twice in the leg and buttocks. Hernandez was being held at Wishard Memorial Hospital and faces preliminary charges of attempted murder, fleeing, burglary, theft and battery on a law enforcement animal, a charge that could lead to a formal felony charge against Hernandez, according to the Marion County prosecutor's office.

"The dog apparently engaged him (Hernandez), and then the suspect fired a shot at the dog, who continued to chase him," said Paul Thompson, IMPD spokesman.

Johnson returned fire and wounded Hernandez, but Bo's injury was too severe to be treated.

Thompson said Johnson was not ready to speak publicly about the incident.

Thursday morning's shooting was the second time in two years that an Indianapolis police dog has been shot and killed in the line of duty.