Rookie K-9 Overcomes Pepper Spray to Capture Burglars: Police

The pooch gave chase after officers caught four suspected burglars in the act and they fled the scene

Pepper spray and a rugged hillside climb didn't stop a courageous police K-9 who helped bust members of a suspected burglary ring in the foothills east of Los Angeles.

Belgian Malinois Bo gave chase after four burglars caught in the act by a neighbor ran from the scene in Glendora just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, a police department spokesman said. Two subjects were arrested just after officers responded to the neighbor's report, but two other burglars ran up a nearby hillside.

That's when officers set up a perimeter and 3-year-old rookie K-9 officer Bo faced his first real-world law enforcement test. One of the subjects used pepper spray on Bo, but the irritant failed to stop the intrepid police dog.

"Bo did exactly what he was supposed to do," said Officer Scott Salvage, Bo's handler. "He chased one of the suspects up the hill, attempted to capture that suspect, the suspect attempted to pepper spray my dog. The dog fought through it."

The man then threw the dog down a ravine, but Bo landed on his feet and continued the chase.

"He recovered, went back up and took him into custody," said Salvage, who served the dog a pound of filet mignon as a reward.

Eventually, the suspects were caught and escorted out of their hiding place, which police said was deep in poison oak. Accomplices in getaway cars sounded their horns to alert the suspects, and officers ended up arresting them, too.

"The driver was repeatedly hitting the horn, trying to alert the suspects hiding," said It also alerted us, and we appreciated the assistance," said Glendora Police Chief Tim Staab.

Officers matched the burglars cellphone numbers with those of the getaway crews.

Investigators believe the suspects, eight were arrested, are a part of a ring operating out of Los Angeles.

NBC4's Vanessa Ruiz and Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

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