A Vancouver police dog named Shack is recovering after a man driving a stolen van tried to attack him.
Police observed a stolen van on East Hastings Street near Dunlevy Street just after 9 p.m. on Sunday. Officers followed it to Victoria Drive where they blocked it and tried to arrest the driver, said a Vancouver police news release.
The driver wouldn't relent, so police brought in Shack to help with the arrest. The suspect, a 31-year-old Burnaby man, began stabbing at the dog with a pair of scissors, police said. The blows were deflected by the dog's handler and officers arrested the driver.
Shack suffered an abrasion on his nose but police are not certain how that happened, Cst. Sandra Glendenning told The Huffington Post B.C.
The driver, who is known to police, faces a number of criminal charges including intent to harm a service dog.
This isn't the first time that Shack has been hurt in the line of duty.
In May 2011, he was injured after an assault suspect allegedly twisted his snout and pressed his thumbs into the dog's eyes in an incident in Yaletown, CTV News reported.
Other police dogs haven't escaped with minor injuries. Vancouver police dog Teak entered the Purina Hall of Fame after he was stabbed while trying to take down an armed robber in East Vancouver.
He had two surgeries before recovering and has since retired from duty.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that Shack had allegedly been stabbed.
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