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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A city K9 taken out of service for evaluation after biting a police officer and two other people should be back on duty soon, Mayor Tony George said.</p><p>The mayor said Friday that he expected to have the paperwork clearing Chase for duty this week, but had not yet received it.</p><p>&#8220;It looks good, but we&#8217;re waiting for documentation saying that the dog is OK,&#8221; George explained.</p><p>The mayor ordered Chase, a Belgian Malinois who worked with Officer Joseph Homza, be taken out of service in January as a public safety measure. The dog that&#8217;s been on the force for approximately a year-and-a-half bit an officer last December when police pursued and found a man from Philadelphia wanted on a warrant.</p><p>The dog also bit two other people during arrests. One of them later filed a lawsuit against the city.</p><p>The city discontinued the training of Chase and the department&#8217;s other K9, Skoty. </p><p>That move prompted Paul Price, owner of North East Police K-9 Academy LLC in Wilkes-Barre Township, to resign as their trainer. Price said a dog is always being trained, but the K9 officers and the dogs had not been attending training sessions. Price said he had not been notified by city officials that Chase had been taken out of service. There were no issues with the dog during training, he added.</p><p>The dogs were purchased in 2016. The Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition held fundraisers and Motorworld Toyota donated $15,000 toward the campaign.</p><p>The city retired its only active K9 Zorro in May 2016. Zorro passed away in February 2017.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_Chase-K9.CMYK_-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Police K9 Chase </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_Chase-K9.CMYK_-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Police K9 Chase </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre waiting for paperwork before reactivating K9 Chase for duty