Watch CBS News

NYPD Dog Bear Returns To Full Duty After Injuries

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A NYPD K-9 is returning to full duty after police said he was kicked twice in the mouth while assisting officers breaking up a subway brawl.

Bear, a 6-year-old German shepherd, is set to leave the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan Wednesday afternoon. Police said a phalanx of NYPD dogs will form an honor guard for Bear.

He sustained two cracked canines, two chipped teeth and a cut tongue when a woman being handcuffed kicked him twice in the mouth, according to police. Officers were breaking up a fight between four women on a subway platform, police said.

Bear's handler, Officer Vincent Tieniber, said despite his injury, Bear kept the woman's foot in his mouth until she was handcuffed.

"He had a swollen snout and he also lacerated his tongue and lower jaw area with a small puncture," Tieniber said.

Ravenia Matos-Davis, 22, appeared in court last week on charges of injuring a police animal, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration.

An attorney for Matos-Davis claimed Bear attacked her when she was already handcuffed and on the ground.

Two of the other women involved in the fight on the subway platform were also charged, police said.

Bear has two to three more years on the job and then he will head home with Tieniber permanently to spend his retirement
with the family.

Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.