POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Ace is home after being shot while protecting deputies, surviving emergency surgery and losing his left front leg.
WFLA reported Sunday that Ace was released from the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch and sent home with his handler to continue recovering. The sheriff’s office said the seven-year-old German shepherd tried to walk soon after waking from anesthesia and later outran a camera filming his release.
A rapid chain of care saved Ace
Ace was critically wounded Thursday evening while helping deputies track a wanted suspect in a wooded area. According to the sheriff’s office accounts reported by WWSB and WFLA, a bullet caused catastrophic damage to his left front leg and injured an artery, leading to severe blood loss.
Staff at Parkway Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Lakeland stopped the bleeding and stabilized him. A Tampa General Hospital Aeromed crew then flew Ace to the Lakewood Ranch veterinary center, where surgeons amputated the injured leg during an emergency operation.
Deputy Natalie Oestreich, Ace’s handler, carried him to safety after the shooting and remained with him through treatment. Law-enforcement officers and first responders joined the sheriff’s office in welcoming the K-9 home Sunday, WWSB reported.
Six years of service end in retirement
Patch reported Monday that Ace had served with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for about six years. Sheriff Grady Judd credited the K-9 with helping save three deputies during the gunfire and called him “a hero without any doubt at all.”
Ace will continue rehabilitation before retiring with Oestreich and her family. The Wiltse Family Trust offered to cover his medical expenses and help fund a replacement K-9, according to Patch.
The sheriff’s office framed his return in words fitting a working K-9 whose final deployment ended in sacrifice: “Thank you well and faithful servant, Ace. You are SUCH a good boy.”
Readers can find more verified service stories in ThinBlueNews’ police K-9 stories, police hero stories and positive police news sections.
Sources and visual disclosure
- WFLA — “Polk County K-9 released from veterinary care after being shot by wanted suspect,” Aug. 9, 2026.
- WWSB — “K-9 Ace returns home after being shot while protecting Polk County deputies,” Aug. 9, 2026.
- Patch — “Polk K-9 Ace Goes Home After Losing Leg In Line-Of-Duty Shooting,” Aug. 10, 2026.
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