Stabbed Northland police dog doing well

Constable Josh Van Der Kwaak comforts wounded police dog Caesar after his surgery.

A brave young police dog and his handler of only two weeks had a baptism of fire on Saturday morning when they grappled with an alleged knife-wielding home invader.

Caesar, only 20 months old and two weeks on the beat with his handler Constable Josh Van Der Kwaak, needed emergency veterinary surgery after copping the brunt of the knife attack at a house in Parua Bay.

The dog was stabbed through his skull and in his eye socket but both wounds were treated by the Whangārei vet. An x-ray showed no major damage but a CT scan in the next few days is expected to confirm it.

Northland District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill said the dog was doing his job, including taking a hit for his handler if it came down to that.

"We are hopeful that Caesar will make a full recovery from his injuries and be back on the job shortly," Hill said.

Caesar and Van Der Kwaak graduated from the Dog Training Centre in Trentham on December 6 and are one of two new crime-fighting duos posted to Northland.

They were responding to a report of a burglary in progress at Parua Bay just before 6.30am on Saturday. The dog team had been called to Parua Bay some hours earlier after reports of suspicious behaviour but was unable to track the suspect who had escaped on foot.

Van Der Kwaak was taking another look around the area when the second call came that a resident had found an unknown man in his house, allegedly armed with a kitchen knife.

When police arrived soon after the man allegedly resisted arrest. Caesar was stabbed in the head twice.

Police Inspector Al Symonds said there had been ''quite a vicious struggle'' as the man at the house and an off-duty police officer helped Van Der Kwaak and Caesar subdue the alleged offender.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the incident and will face a number of charges.

Symonds said Van Der Kwaak was okay and had police support.

Superintendent Hill extended his gratitude to the vet, who he said was "simply outstanding".

"I would also like to acknowledge the victim of the original burglary complaint, who assisted Constable Van Der Kwaak after Caesar was stabbed," he said.

Caesar may be a rookie but he is in revered company when it comes to being a Northland police dog knifed in the line of duty.

Now retired, police dog Gus tracked thousands of offenders, caught hundreds of criminals and recovered thousands of dollars in stolen property during his career.

But in October 2013 Gus' life hung in the balance after he was stabbed while capturing a violent, knife-wielding offender in a remote location.

His handler, Senior Constable Peter Kinane, had to carry Gus, who had a deep stab wound behind the shoulder, out of a rough bush area. Gus was flown by helicopter to an Auckland vet clinic where he was operated on.

Six weeks down the track he was fighting fit and back on the beat.

In 2016 Gus became the first police dog in Northland to get a stab-resistant vest, a vital piece of kit all Northland police dogs now wear.