Houston sheriff’s deputy forced to shoot the dog he handles

A Houston County sheriff’s deputy was forced to shoot and kill the K-9 he handles after the dog attacked him, the sheriff says.

Sgt. Slate Simons was attacked by the dog Tuesday afternoon while helping the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office on a manhunt, Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton said.

The dog was returning after it had been let loose in the search when it suddenly grabbed onto Simons’ leg and would not let go.

“When the dog got back, he turned on Slate,” Talton said. “He grabbed onto the calf of his leg and tore his leg up pretty bad.

“Bit him all the way down to the bone, and the only way he could get him loose was he had to shoot the dog,” Talton said.

Simons was taken to the Medical Center, Navicent Health, and was released Tuesday night. He is at home recuperating, Talton said.

Simons has been partnered with the dog for more than a year, and the dog stayed with Simons at his home.

“That’s hurting him worse than anything else right now,” Talton said of Simons having to shoot the dog.

The dog’s body is expected to be examined for signs of illness, including rabies. However, the dog was up to date on all of its shots, including rabies, Talton said.

For more on this story, come back later to macon.com and read Thursday’s Telegraph.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Houston County Sheriff’s Sgt. Slate Simons.

This story was originally published April 26, 2017 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Houston sheriff’s deputy forced to shoot the dog he handles."