K9 dogs have to be intelligent, fit and, above all, brave. And that is certainly how you can describe Arlo. The three-year-old German Shepherd had previously found fame as one of the most famous dogs on TikTok.
The popular pup amassed an incredible 1.5 million followers who can't get enough of watching clips of him helping his handler, Dep. Tyler Turpin.
Brave pup
But around a year ago, instead of enjoying one of Arlo's most recent videos, fans were desperately waiting for news of whether the K9 would survive life-saving surgery after he had been shot twice during a police chase. One of the bullets had entered near his spine and chipped his shoulder before lodging near his neck.
After the shooting, Arlo had life-saving surgery at Oregon State University's Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, where vets gave him a 60% chance of survival. Against the odds, Arlo survived his ordeal and surgery, shocking his vets with his speedy recovery.
Hero welcome home
Then the news came that everyone had been waiting for. Arlo is finally released from the hospital.
In an incredibly moving tribute to their brave canine colleague, officers from Thurston County Sheriffs Office lined up outside the hospital to show their support. The emotional moment was shared to TikTok where it quickly went viral, amassing an incredible 34 million views. It shows Dep Turpin walking out of the hospital with the limping pup. Once in the car, Arlo is escorted home. Emergency services personnel can be seen cheering the pooch from bridges as they watch Arlo's vehicle travel by.
As Arlo arrived home, his entire street was full of emergency vehicles and staff celebrating his recovery.
Despite making a good recovery, Arlo is likely to suffer from arthritis for the rest of his life. As this will likely affect Arlo's reaction time, the dog sadly cannot return to active duty and is now retired. But he can return to making videos for TikTok!
