Police dogs: Back from the Edge after frenzied 'Rambo knife' attack

Dave Whyte races a critically injured Edge off for veterinary attention after he was attacked during a manhunt. Picture / Hawke's Bay Today

Police dog Edge and his handler Senior Constable Dave Whyte were enjoying a day off when a call came in to check out a suspicious person not far away.

The Hastings callout proved almost fatal for Edge, who was stabbed in the chest, the blade just missing his heart and major blood vessels, by a man armed with a knife.

Edge had been part of Mr Whyte's family for nearly two years, after adopting him from a foster family when the pup was 8 months old.

"He's a real character. He's enjoyable to work with because he's so highly strung - he's as mad as a meat axe, really."

Mr Whyte recalled the day he almost lost Edge. On June 6 he was relaxing at home after a period of night shifts when he got a phone call from a neighbour saying someone was acting suspiciously in the garage.

There was no dog handler on duty at the time, so a police vehicle picked up Mr Whyte and Edge on their way to the property.

Edge picked up a track through some farm land. They found the man in a pine plantation but when they got nearer they saw him holding a knife to his stomach and then his throat.

"We said we were going to back out of here, because really at the end of the day he hadn't done a lot at that stage."

The man then stood up and "slammed" the knife into his stomach and chest. Mr Whyte said he held Edge back while he tried to kick the knife out of the man's hands.

In the melee of trying to get the knife away, the man attacked and stabbed Edge twice in the chest.

What followed was a helicopter ride to the vet and a trip to Massey University in Palmerston North for a lifesaving operation for Edge.

Mr Whyte said when it happened he was completely shocked and felt responsible.

"Because he [the man] really attacked - he just took to the dog. Because of the situation and terrain, he realised there was nothing else he could have done.

Mr Whyte said the knife was huge - "like a Rambo hunting knife".

"It [the knife] basically went right through him - he's just a little dog."

But despite his horrific injuries, Edge's recovery was "remarkable".

"It was all a bit touch-and-go for the first few days ... He'd lost so much blood. But once he got through that it was incredible how quickly he recovered."

And now Edge is back working with the force and seems to have no emotional scars from his experience.

"He's an incredibly tenacious little dog anyway - he's a tough little bugger."

Mr Whyte said the only change he had noticed was that Edge had come back a bit more aggressive and serious about his job.

"The game of it is gone, the fun of it is gone."

The knife man was later jailed for 2 1/2 years.

- NZPA