articleThe Brief K9 Ace is returning home after being shot and critically injured while protecting deputies in Kathleen on Thursday night. His partner, emergency responders, and veterinary teams rushed the hero dog through emergency care and life-saving amputation surgery. The suspect who shot the police dog was killed at the scene while firing at deputies. A Polk County K9 returned home on Sunday after surviving a critical shooting that led to emergency surgery and the amputation of his front leg, according to the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office said Dr. Aguayo and staff at Parkway Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Lakeland stabilized Ace and stopped his bleeding.