A Conversation with O'nil's Handler
Today, we spoke with K-9 O’nil’s handler, Jay Manning, to get an update on O’nil’s plans for surgery.
If you haven’t met K-9 O’nil, he’s our newest Program Member, number 272, from North College Hill Police Department in Ohio, trained in Narcotics Detection and Tracking. O’nil went in for a small procedure on his ear and the veterinarians discovered that O’nil’s spleen was inflamed.
“The goal of the surgery is to remove his spleen,” Jay told us. “They also want to explore and see if there’s a problem that’s causing it that they can correct at the moment or down the road. It has to come out because it’s bleeding into his abdomen.”
The veterinarians don’t think it’s cancer, because O’nil’s overall health is good, but they can’t say for sure yet what it might be. The surgery will require a specialist and is estimated to cost between $10,000 - $15,000. It is scheduled for this coming Tuesday.
“He’ll be dropped off at 8 am for pre-op, and the surgery will be around noon or one,” Jay said. He plans to be there in the waiting room during the surgery so that he is the first thing O’nil sees when he wakes up. “It’s important for me that he knows I’m in the battle with him and that I’m with him every step of the way,” Jay said. “I want him to see me or smell me. That’s very important to me and to our relationship.”
O’nil’s prognosis is good and the veterinarians are optimistic. His recovery will take about a month.
As for getting accepted into Project K-9 Hero, Jay had this to say:
I will tell you that this last week for me has probably been, in my lifetime, the biggest emotional rollercoaster I’ve ever been on because you get that prognosis, and you don’t want to think the worst, but that shadow is always there. And then you guys come along and blow everything out of the water. I talked to Jason [Johnson] for 15 minutes and he’s such a great guy. It brought tears to my eyes that there are people like that in the world. It’s just amazing to me.
Jay said that he and his friends plan to throw a benefit for PK9H when all of this is over. “Everyone wants to do a benefit that donates to your organization. The biggest thing I take from this is that I don’t want anyone else who has my job to go through this again because it was so mentally trying, and to know that someone will step up and have this taken care of - it’s like the world comes off your shoulders.”
Jay is going to update us on Tuesday to let us know how O’nil does in surgery. Good luck, O’nil!
If you’d like to donate to help fund the medical care of O’nil and our other Program Members, we would be grateful. And so would they.
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