A B.C. man has been charged with wounding a police service dog during an arrest in Surrey last summer.
Travis Jeremy Muranaka, 48, is accused of wilfully maiming a law enforcement animal, theft, and two counts of possessing stolen property under $5,000.
On Aug. 4, 2025, police said officers from the RCMP’s Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit responded to reports of two suspects stealing from a vehicle in the 16900 block of 86A Avenue.
Lotto, a K9 from the RCMP’s Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service, tracked one of the suspects into a wooded area, where police said the dog was slashed.
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The suspect was apprehended, said police, with Lotto recovering the knife, along with other property.
“While the arrest was sort of unfolding, near the end of it, Lotto actually came out holding a knife in his mouth, and it was then that the handler realized he had been cut with a knife,” S/Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told Global News on Aug. 5.
Lotto, who was cut up in his neck and ear area, received stitches and was expected to make a full recovery.
A second suspect was arrested nearby, but to date, has not been charged.
Muranaka is also accused of theft over $5,000 in relation to a May 2 allegation in Surrey, and two counts of breaching an undertaking in Surrey on Nov. 18, the same date he was released on $150 bail.
Muranaka’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 23 in Surrey.
RCMP confirmed on Monday that Lotto is now back to his full duties.
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