Dante, Injured Lynwood K9 Officer, Undergoes Surgery For Nerve Damage In His Spine

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Dante, the Lynwood police K9 who suffered a serious spinal injury last month, is recovering after a vertebrae implant surgery on Tuesday.

The K9 officer got hurt while playing catch with his handler, Officer Luke Tambrini, on Jan. 31. When Tambrini threw his ball, it bounced off the ground sideways into some park equipment. Dante was so focused on the ball that he ran into some park equipment. He injured his vertebrae and was in such pain that he could not walk.

He had been undergoing physical therapy since then, ahead of Tuesday's surgery, when a neurosurgeon installed vertebrae implants to relieve pressure on his spinal cord, according to the group Protecting K9 Heroes, which raised money for Dante's medical bills.

"There were not any complications and Dante is fully stabilized," the group said in a Facebook post.

Dante now faces lengthy physical therapy.

"He will not be up and running tomorrow. But it is our hope that he will be walking on his own in time," Protecting K9 Heroes said on Facebook.

Officer Tambrini rushed Dante to emergency care after his injury. More visits led him to a neurologist and a possible recovery bill of more than $10,000.

While the police department did not have a budget for such an expense, Staci Goveia, founder of Protecting K9 Heroes, started a GoFundMe for Dante's care. It didn't take long to raise the funds.

Dante has served the Lynwood Police Department for more than six years. After his injury, the community rallied around him, and donated more than $19,000 to cover his medical bills.

"No one ever asked him to sign up for this, and he does it, and he loves it," Tambrini told CBS 2's Tara Molina earlier this month.

The work and the bond are tough for Tambrini to talk about.

"There's only one creature on this planet that would literally sacrifice themselves for you, and he would do just that," Tambrini said as he choked up.

Dante has saved Officer Tambrini's own life, and protected countless others.

"He's helped protect this community from a lot of bad people," Tambrini said.

After surgery to repair nerve damage, Dante will face weeks if not months of rehabilitation. It's unclear if he'll be able to return to duty.