IRVINE, CA (KCAL/KCBS/CNN) - A California police dog is out of surgery the day after taking down a suspect wanted for almost hitting a policewoman, carjacking a woman and violating his parole.
Puskas the 7-year-old Dutch shepherd helped police detain Antonio Padilla Jr.
During the takedown, Puskas slammed his muzzle against a cement curb, breaking his front and bottom teeth.
Veterinarians spent several hours Tuesday removing those teeth because they had broken down to the gum line. Once out of surgery, Puskas was able to go home with his handler, Santa Ana Police Officer Luis Galeana.
"My dog was super happy when he saw me," Galeana SAID. "He's still kind of loopy, but he was able to get up on his four legs and kind of lick my face a little bit. It was a good feeling. He was surrounded by staff, which is a great feeling, too, that they all cared for my dog."
Puskas is expected to make a full recovery, and it turns out he only needs his back teeth to do his job as a police dog. That means he should be able to return to work once he has healed.
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