K9 Ace honored with Commendation for Valor after losing leg in Polk County shooting

BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County Sheriff's Office K9 Ace was honored by the Polk County Board of Commissioners Tuesday after being shot multiple times in the line of duty and losing his left front leg.

Polk County honors K9 Ace

What we know:

Ace received a Commendation for Valor Tuesday in recognition of his actions during an Aug. 6 incident that helped protect the lives of others, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

The commendation recognized Ace for his "brave actions" that resulted in serious injury while saving the lives of others, according to a statement from the Polk County Board of Commissioners.

Line of duty gunshot injuries

The backstory:

Ace was helping Polk County deputies on Aug. 6 when he was shot multiple times by a suspect.

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Deputy Natalie Oestreich immediately provided field care before taking Ace to Park Way Veterinary Emergency Clinic, where veterinarians stabilized him and controlled his bleeding.

Because of the severity of his injuries, Ace was flown to the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch aboard Tampa General Hospital's AeroMed flight team. The flight took about 26 minutes.

Veterinarians diagnosed Ace with hemorrhagic shock after he arrived in critical condition.

He received packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma from three civilian canine blood donors named Molly, Rooster and Winnie.

Ace underwent surgery on Aug. 7, when Dr. Brianna Miniter amputated his left front leg because of the extent of his traumatic injuries.

K9 Ace's recovery

Dig deeper:

Ace began walking on three legs with assistance from a sling just hours after surgery, according to the veterinary medical center.

He remained in intensive care for monitoring before being discharged Aug. 9 and returning home with his long-time handler, Deputy Oestreich.

The sheriff's office previously said Ace would recover at home as he transitioned into retirement following his service with Oestreich and PCSO.

Now, Ace has received another recognition for his service.

Sheriff's office commends bravery

What they're saying:

PCSO said the county's working canines put themselves in harm's way every day while searching wooded areas, swamps, structures, businesses and other locations.

"They’re doing that in apprehension of murderers and rapists and pedophiles, in this case, a pedophile. And they do it fearlessly, and they do it every day, and we are grateful to them," the sheriff's office said. "They are heroes to us. Ace is a hero."

The sheriff's office said Ace is recovering well and enjoying retirement.

"Unfortunately, Ace lost his left front leg to gunfire, but you can see Ace is alive and well and doing great," the sheriff's office said. "God is as gracious for that. We are grateful for that to have Ace here with us."

For Ace, the treatment and support from veterinary teams, canine blood donors and his fellow deputies helped give the longtime working dog a chance to return home.

Retirement

What's next:

Now, after years of service, Ace gets to enjoy a well-earned retirement with his handler.

Polk County