Nova Scotia's Serious Incident Response Team says police were justified in using a service dog to track a suspect who was bitten by the animal.
The independent watchdog organization says Halifax police responded to a Hammonds Plains address in November 2014 after a 51-year-old man alleged he had been stabbed in the chest by his 48-year-old wife.
Police were unable to find the woman and a search involving the K-9 unit ensued in thick woods behind the home.
SIRT says the tracker dog made contact with the woman in her hiding place and bit her on the leg.
The woman sustained deep lacerations to her leg.
The investigation found the use of the dog was justified in order to locate a potentially dangerous suspect and to protect the safety of the officers involved in the search.
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