photo by: Lawrence Humane Society

Bear, a dog injured in a stabbing incident that killed his owner in Lawrence on Wednesday, rests in the grass during a walk on Thursday morning. The Lawrence Humane Society said he is expected to recover from his injuries.

A dog injured in a stabbing incident that killed his owner at a Lawrence grocery store on Wednesday is expected to recover, the Lawrence Humane Society said in a social media post.

The organization said the dog, Bear, was stabbed in his side and suffered a serious injury during the incident at the Dillons grocery store, 1015 W. 23rd St. The dog’s owner — who police later identified as 66-year-old Lawrence resident Daniel Evan Brooks — was killed in the incident.

Robert Earl Davis, of Lawrence, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Douglas County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder and cruelty to animals, the Journal-World previously reported.

After the incident, Bear was taken to the Humane Society for emergency medical care. The organization said it began working with its partners at the Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital to assess the injury and treat Bear. The organization told the Journal-World Bear is at least 12 years old.

“Thanks to the emergency care he received, we are happy to report that Bear has been stabilized and his laceration has been repaired,” the organization said in the social media post, adding that Bear returned to the Humane Society. “His prognosis is good and we believe there are happy days ahead for this sweet senior gentleman.”

In a comment on the social media post, an individual expressed concern for Bear’s emotional well-being after the tragic event. The Humane Society said it would take that into account while treating Bear.

“Trauma and loss of the person he was bonded to are significant,” the organization said. “We will be patient and gentle with him. We can already tell he is a kind soul.”

It’s not yet known whether Bear will be up for adoption. The Humane Society told the Journal-World there would be a customary hold period for the man’s next of kin to claim Bear. However, if no one from the man’s family claim’s Bear, the organization has heard from people who are interested in adopting him.

Those who wish to donate toward Bear’s recovery or any of the other animals in the humane society’s care are asked to visit lawrencehumane.org/donate/.