The July stabbing of a guide dog during its owner's commute in Saitama Prefecture is under investigation, it was learned Thursday.
The dog was apparently stabbed by a forklike object and sustained four evenly spaced wounds in the hind quarters, according to Noritoshi Sato, an acquaintance of the owner.
Sato, who is a member of a Tokyo nonprofit organization that promotes animal welfare, said the dog's wounds were about 5 mm wide and about 1 cm deep.
The dog, a 9-year-old male Labrador retriever named Oscar, apparently didn't make any noise during the attack, police said. Guide dogs are trained not to bark unless their owners are in danger.
The dog's 61-year-old visually impaired owner left his home in the city of Saitama with Oscar at around 11 a.m. on July 28, taking a train from JR Urawa Station to Higashi Kawaguchi Station, the police said.
After arriving at his workplace, a colleague noticed the dog's injuries. The police have yet to determine where exactly the attack took place.
Word of the incident spread quickly online after the man's colleagues posted a message about it, gathering comments like "unforgivable," and "please catch the culprit now."
The dog received medical treatment and has since resumed its duties, the police said.
Investigators have been reviewing security camera footage along the route.
