Washington police canine Styx recovers after swallowing tennis ball

A tennis ball sent Washington, Illinois police canine Styx into surgery, and now the working dog is recovering with a two-week stint at home after the ball became lodged internally. Police Chief Jeff Stevens told the Washington City Council that Styx had recovered nicely, turning an odd-sounding mishap into a very real reminder that even a seasoned K-9 can be sidelined by a familiar fetch toy.

The incident came after Styx and his handler, Joe Dubois, attended the Saturday Night Lights cruise-in on April 12 at the Connect Center in Washington. The local connection made the story more than a veterinary scare. Cruise-in organizers had already made a donation to Styx’s care before the tennis-ball problem surfaced, underscoring how closely the dog’s work ties into the community around him.

For owners of high-drive dogs, the lesson lands fast: tennis balls are not always harmless, especially for dogs that chew hard, gulp toys, or fixate on one object. Veterinary guidance warns that tennis balls can pose choking hazards if they break apart or lodge in a dog’s throat, and swallowed foreign bodies can lead to dangerous gastrointestinal obstruction. Those cases may require emergency treatment, and sometimes surgery, which is exactly why a ball-obsessed dog needs close supervision and smarter toy choices.

The American Veterinary Medical Association advises pet owners to treat suspected ingestion of a dangerous object as a prompt-veterinary-care issue. The American Kennel Club also warns that tennis balls can abrade teeth or pop and cause injury, and recommends durable rubber toys instead. For handlers and pet owners alike, the practical move is to check the size, condition, and durability of every toy before the next fetch session starts. If a dog is a hard-charging retriever, the old bright-yellow standby may be a bigger risk than it looks.

Styx’s surgery also fits a broader picture of how Washington is investing in its canine operations. In March, the city approved an emergency purchase of a new 2025 Ford Explorer canine vehicle for a little more than $49,800, a sign that the department is treating its K-9 unit like the working asset it is. Styx’s recovery may be temporary, but the caution attached to it is immediate: a tennis ball can move from playtime to emergency in a heartbeat.