Northland police shootout: How's the dog?

Northland police refuse to unmask the name of the dog involved in Tuesday's shootout.

How's the dog? It's the most-asked question in the wake of the shootout that shattered the morning quiet of Northland's Tangowahine.

As it turns out, there's only so much we can tell you.

Northland police commander Superintendent Tony Hill said the dog was in a stable condition with "critical injuries to its jaw" caused when it was shot during Tuesday morning's shooting.

Vets at Veterinary Specialist Group based at Unitec in Mt Albert, Auckland, further assessed the dog yesterday to determine any possible surgeries and recovery.

Then he added: "Police are unable to release details of the dog's name for privacy reasons while the investigations into the incident are carried out."

It might seem odd but what Hill likely meant was disclosing the name of the dog would give away the identity of its handler.

Detective Inspector Graeme Bell - familiar face of popular television show Police Ten 7 - said the privacy of the officer involved was paramount while a number of investigations took place into the shooting.

The standard follow-up procedure for events like Tuesday's involve a policy, practice and procedure review, a critical incident investigation as well as an Independent Police Conduct Authority investigation.

By keeping mum on the dog's name the police were protecting the investigations, the officer involved, and the families of those affected by the shootout, Bell said.

"No police officer ever wants to shoot at anybody. No police officer ever wants to hurt anybody. It goes against everything they are trying to achieve - but sometimes they have no choice."

Hill said there had been widespread support for the police dog.

"Police would like to acknowledge the messages of support received overnight from the community around the welfare of the police dog who was shot."

The man shot three times by police during the incident remained in a stable condition in Auckland City Hospital. Charges were yet to be laid.