Obi - The POlice German Shepherd Injured in UK Riot

The three-year-old German shepherd Dog Obi was on his duty with his handler Constable Phil Wells on the front line in Tottenham. Obi and his handler experienced a real life threatening phase amidst the mob where people were throwing bricks and bottles aimlessly. One of such items struck Obi in his head, badly cracking his skull right above the left eye. PC Wells said, "I have never experienced stuff coming at us from all sides like that before."

PC Phil Wells said, "Obi is trained in public order, and that may be dispersing a crowd or pushing them back. We were on a stationary point when we came under heavy bombardment. There were lots of missiles coming at us, bottles, bricks, petrol bombs, street furniture, too many to count and one hit Obi on the top of the head. Initially he was a bit shocked but I gave him a checkover and tried to avoid any further injuries and after the initial shock he seemed fine so we carried on for another couple of hours. Afterwards he was assessed and and was showing signs he needed veterinary help. He was lethargic and was bleeding from the left nostril which could be a sign of head trauma so he was taken to the vets and assessed and the vet was not happy about the impact he had had so he was transferred to the Royal Veterinary School in Cambridge for a CT scan."

Obi may take several months to recover completely and become fit to be on the duty again.