A heroic police dog has made a triumphant return to a Florida sheriff’s office after being shot and losing a leg while protecting deputies.
Angel Bowers, 27, was arrested and charged in March 2024 with allegedly having unlawful sex with a 16-year-old girl inside a children’s “princess tent,” according to KFOX-TV.
‘Prayers are answered because Ace is alive and our deputies are uninjured.’
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Bowers was scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 3 but failed to appear. A judge revoked Bowers’ bond and issued a felony warrant.
On Aug. 6, three Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies and K-9 Ace tracked down Bowers in a tent hidden in the woods, Judd stated in a press conference.
Police claimed Bowers began shooting at the officers, and one bullet hit Ace in his left shoulder, severely damaging his front leg and an artery.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office released audio of the moment that several shots were fired, and Ace can be heard whimpering in the background.
Citing the sheriff, KFOX reported that deputies returned fire, and Bowers was later found dead holding a stolen gun.
Ace’s partner and handler, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Natalie Oestreich, tended to the dog’s wounds and whisked him to safety, the sheriff’s office said, according to Fox News.
Ace, a 7-year-old German shepherd who has served with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office since March 2020, was rushed to the Parkway Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Lakeland, Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Once stabilized, Ace was airlifted to the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton.
Fox News reported, “Veterinarians there performed a several-hour surgery to amputate his left front leg.”
An emotional video shows a group of deputies giving Ace treats and applauding the K-9 as he walks out of the medical center under his own power while wearing a shirt that reads: “Ride or die.”
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On Tuesday, less than a week after being shot and losing his front leg, Ace returned to the sheriff’s office to a hero’s welcome.
“Look at Ace. He’s happy; he’s eating; he bit my finger,” Judd said.
“Listen, we’re so proud of Natalie and Ace,” Judd continued. “They stood in the gap between good and evil, and they saved three deputies’ lives. That’s why we’re so proud of him. He did so good, and we couldn’t have done it without the handler — she is absolutely the very best .”
“Prayers are answered because Ace is alive and my deputies are not injured,” Judd remarked.
Sadly, Ace was forced to retire because of his traumatic injuries. “Chill out and enjoy your retirement, Ace,” Sheriff Judd said.
The sheriff’s office said of Ace, “His days of chasing bad guys may be over, but Ace will always be one of our heroes!”
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Polk Sheriff’s Charities established a K-9 fund to help support Ace’s care going forward.
The sheriff’s office stated, “The Wiltse Family Trust has already informed us that they intend to cover the cost for Ace’s care at Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch AND the Trust has already committed to purchasing a new K-9 to replace Ace now that he will have to retire.”
Steve Wiltse, who founded the Wiltse Family Foundation in 2019 to support community heroes with his wife, said Ace’s handler will not have to worry about “anything” in caring for the hero dog.
“That’s what the foundation’s there for, so it kind of makes it a no-brainer. It’s there for events like that, so Natalie can worry about Ace,” Wiltse told WTVT-TV. “She doesn’t have to worry about where she’s getting money; she doesn’t have to worry about anything.”
Mary Anne Wiltse added, “They keep us safe and protected, and if we can facilitate them with a tool to do that, then it’s fulfilling.”
“There’s a litany of emotions you go through: grief, sorrow, excitement, happiness, because he’s going to be OK,” Mary Anne Wiltse noted. “He was able to save the lives of three officers.”
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