A Saskatoon police dog was sent to a veterinary clinic overnight after a suspected car thief attempted to drown the dog, according to Saskatoon police.
In a news release, police said officers first spotted a 34-year-old man in a stolen Mercedes car at about 11 p.m. Monday near Circle Drive and 11th Street West. He refused to stop for police, and left the city on Highway 16.
Officers in the Saskatoon police unit airplane then tracked the suspect by air as he headed west of the city.
The suspect eventually abandoned the car near Radisson, Sask., after RCMP stopped it using a tire-deflation device. He tried to steal another vehicle, but then ran into a field.
He eventually ended up near a slough, and officers in the plane helped police on the ground track him.
The dog was then sent to apprehend him, but police said the suspect tried to drown the dog.
Officers intervened, entering the water, and managed to take the suspect into custody after a physical altercation.
The man, who was bit by the dog, was taken to hospital with minor injuries from the bite, and the dog was taken to a veterinarian, police said. The dog has since been released from the clinic.
No officers were injured.
The man has since been charged with possessing stolen property over $5,000, dangerous driving, robbery and causing unnecessary suffering to a police service dog.
He is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon.
