Police dog Nala injured in Northamptonshire pursuit
A police dog was kicked by a fleeing suspect as he and three others tried to evade officers in a pursuit along the A43 in Northamptonshire.
PD Nala also suffered injuries to her face after entering a vehicle - which the men had escaped from - through a broken window.
Police were called just before 4am on Wednesday 1 July to reports that a vehicle potentially linked to a theft from a lorry had been seen travelling along the A43.
Officers used stingers to stop it - but those inside ran off. PD Nala chased them and was injured in her attempts to stop them.
Inspector Andy Hall said: "Firstly, I want to reassure the public - who we know will be worried about PD Nala - that she is recovering well, resting up and being given the best care there is.
"It is a stark reminder of the danger our dogs and our officers face every day in the line of duty."
Four men - aged 25, 33, 34, and 43 - have since been arrested in connection with the incident.
Northamptonshire Police said an officer was also injured while trying to arrest them.
A campaign to increase the sentences for offenders convicted of harming service animals, known as Finn's Law, is continuing.
PD Finn was seriously injured while on duty back in 2016 alongside Hertfordshire police constable Dave Wardell.
The pair, along with their many supporters, successfully campaigned for a change in the law which saw greater protection given to service animals and made it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to them.
Up to then, police dogs and other animals were simply treated as force property - meaning offenders could only be convicted of criminal damage.
Campaigners continue to fight for what they have called Finn's Law Part II - which would increase the minimum sentence from six months to five years.
Read more about PD Finn and his #FinnsLaw campaign here: