Tampa officer saves retired K-9 rushed into emergency surgery

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A retired K-9 was saved thanks to the quick thinking of a Tampa police officer last month.

According to the Tampa Police Benevolent Association, retired K-9 Xavier, a 9-year-old male German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix, suffered a medical emergency on June 20.

K-9 Xavier’s handler of nearly 10 years, Officer Keith Padellaro, rushed his partner in for emergency surgery at the Veterinary Emergency Group of Tampa.

The association said the dog has a critical condition, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, which caused his stomach to flip over inside his abdominal cavity and cut off his blood flow, preventing blood from returning to the heart. Without treatment, the condition has a 100% fatality rate.

The canine had his spleen removed, remaining in critical condition for two days. According to Tampa PBA, Officer Padellaro paid $9,300 for the surgery.

“I am continually amazed by the care and empathy our officers extend to members of the community each day,” said Brandon Barclay, President of the Tampa Police Benevolent Association. “Every day on the job, their first instinct is to help. I’m not surprised at all to see the lengths Officer Padellaro went to in order to save Xavier’s life.”

Now, Xavier is on the road to recovery, the association said.

“If anyone is interested in donating to help Officer Padellaro with the costs of Xavier’s care, they can donate by giving to the Tampa Police Benevolent Association at tampapba.org or by visiting the GoFundMe page, which was created to help offset the costs of Xavier’s surgery.”

K-9 Xavier retired in 2022 and was adopted by Officer Padellaro shortly after. The canine served as a dual-purpose patrol and bomb detection dog, according to the Tampa PBA.

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