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Police Dog on the Mend after Injury at Work

Cedar City K-9 officer Pajko received his injuries during a physical confrontation with suicidal and uncooperative suspect.  The animal was taken to a specialist in Las Vegas. It was determined that Pajko suffered from a herniated disk in his neck.

The injury required surgery which was performed on Saturday. Cedar City police say they’re cautiously optimistic that after weeks of recovery and rehab, K-9 Pajko may be able to return to his normal duties.

The suspect, 48-year-old Merrill Orlando rust was arrested on multiple charges, including causing injury to a police service animal.

Chris Holmes holds a Masters of Professional Communication degree from Southern Utah University. While at SUU his work received numerous awards including the 2009 King Foundation Best of Festival Award in the National Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts. Chris is co-host of the daily public affairs program, Big Picture Morning Show on radio station KSUB (Cedar City, Utah). He also is a sports and news contributor at Cherry Creek Media. He lives in Cedar City, with wife, Marie and five children.