12/19/2025
Thank you to our incredible team at VCA Emergency Animal Hospital & Referral Center!!
You may have seen Tuesday's SWAT standoff in the news and heard that one of our beloved San Diego Police Department police dogs was injured. That is true. Yet, our valiant K9 Bowie II survived the incident, has been cleared and released by our friends at VCA Animal Hospitals, and is expected to return to duty! His recovery is nothing short of a holiday "miracle."
What's more, K9 Bowie II played a significant part in causing the suspect to give up — and end the stand-off, bringing peace and safety back to our community.
For the past 22 years, every police service dog at the San Diego Police Department has been purchased with funds donated by the community through the Police Foundation. K9 Bowie II was proudly funded through our K9 Program.
Fun fact: his official start date was Christmas Day in 2023!
These specialized canines safeguard public events, find missing persons, locate evidence, de-escalate dangerous situations, prevent shootings, and preserve life.
Learn more about our K9 Program: https://sdpolicefoundation.org/initiatives/k9-program/