UPDATE: The Veterinary care and special group In Chattanooga, a mass and a lymph node were removed and half of K-9 Joker’s intestines were resected.

A Facebook post by Jason Johnson, founder of Project K-9 Herosaid the vets discovered an internal perforation during surgery and that he should be better after the surgery.

“He will need a strict diet with more vitamins and nutrients,” Johnson said in the post. “It will take a few days for the pathology to clear up what the mass is exactly.”

Project K-9 Hero paid over $10,000 last week to cover the medical bills of Joker, who was shot while on duty for his handler in 2021.

Anyone who would like to contribute to their health insurance can donate on the group’s website.

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PREVIOUS STORY: Joker, a retired Bradley County police dog, continues to suffer from complications following surgery.

Joker went to the vet on December 4th because he was having irregular breathing. His handler learned that something may have gotten into his lungs during surgery, which could have taken a while to develop into a breathing problem.

Joker retired in June 2023. He was shot in 2021 while pursuing car theft suspects and has since endured multiple surgeries and complications.