Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Tangowahine shooting: Shot police dog facing several surgeries but in stable condition

NZ Herald
3 Dec, 2020 04:02 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The police dog injured during a shooting in Northland is making good progress but will need several surgeries in the coming weeks. Video / Supplied

The police dog shot in the jaw has improved and is no longer touch and go, a veterinary staff member treating him says.

The canine was flown by helicopter to a specialist vet team in Auckland to treat life-threatening injuries to his jaw and blood loss.

He was shot in the head during Tuesday's shootout in Tangowahine, 12km northeast of Dargaville.

The man was shot by police and is in a stable condition.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Inspector Todd Southall, national co-ordinator of police dogs, said this afternoon police would not name the dog because of ongoing investigations.

The police dog injured in a serious incident near Tangowahine on Tuesday. Photo / supplied
The police dog injured in a serious incident near Tangowahine on Tuesday. Photo / supplied

The comment appeared to be in response to a media outlet naming the dog.

Southall said more surgeries were expected over the coming weeks and the dog faced a long road to recovery.

He said police remained optimistic about its return to the beat - but it was still too early to say whether it could.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Providing the dog's handler with today's reassuring news was like telling a family member about a loved one, Coomer said.

"They love each other to bits, these guys," he said of the pair.

"Their partnership is similar to siblings. It's nice to be able to give good news, especially as it was touch and go for quite some time."

'He is going to survive'

Advanced Veterinary Care's Dr Alastair Coomer said the dog is expected to survive.

Discover more

New Zealand

Wellsford shooting: Female suspect surrenders, man found 'unresponsive' by police

02 Dec 11:50 PM

"The expectation is he is going to continue to improve. We are still working with the goal of him thriving and going back to work."

The closeness of the dog and handler was obvious from their arrival, Coomer said.

In a "tight bond like this" the dog responded to its owner's voice ahead of every other person talking.

The dog's handler had been by the dog's side as he received treatment.

Coomer is no stranger to saving the lives of Northland's police dogs.

Two years ago, the specialist vet treated 20-month-old Caesar, who had only clocked up two weeks on the beat with his handler Constable Josh Van Der Kwaak when he was stabbed in the head by a man resisting arrest at a home in Parua Bay, Whangārei.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Coomer said groups like The Working Dog Centre based in Massey University, alongside other specialist vets and nurses, meant the country's police dogs were in "incredible" hands.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants

Northern Advocate

'Surreal intelligence': Orcas seen sharing prey with humans


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court
Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

Cops say a patched Barbarian Stormtrooper member narrowly avoided hitting a police car.

16 Jul 04:04 AM
Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants
Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants

16 Jul 04:00 AM
'Surreal intelligence': Orcas seen sharing prey with humans
Northern Advocate

'Surreal intelligence': Orcas seen sharing prey with humans

16 Jul 01:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP