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Some dogs are companions. Some dogs work. Some are heroes.
K-9 police dogs bravely stand beside law enforcement officers in the fight against crime and terrorism. We salute them as heroes, as we do the men and women in uniform who strive to keep our communities safe.
But what if a police officer and his K-9 partner are shot while on duty? Should the EMTs who arrive at the scene treat the wounded dog?
Seems like a no-brainer – YES!
Surprisingly, it hasn’t always been that way. In 2018, Massachusetts police officer Sean Gannon was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant. His K-9 partner “Nero” was also shot and wounded
The EMTs couldn’t treat or transport Nero because of state law. Fortunately, Nero survived after being taken to an animal hospital in the back of a police car.
To correct this injustice, Massachusetts just passed a law that now allows emergency workers to treat and transport K-9 officers to veterinary facilities, as long as no injured humans need to be taken to the hospital.
We at Pugpalooza applaud Massachusetts for the new law!
K-9 police dogs do dangerous things like sniff out drugs, take down fleeing suspects and detect hidden bombs. Why shouldn’t they be entitled to certain care if they are wounded, just like people are? (Ironically, their duties are often things we humans cannot do or don’t want to risk ourselves doing.)
We hope the new Massachusetts law prompts other states to review their own laws pertaining to wounded K-9 police dogs.
Until next time,
Hugs and Pug Kisses,
Candy
Sources and Links:
Life in prison for man guilty of murder in shooting death of Sgt. Sean Gannon (wcvb.com)
New Law Lets EMTs Treat and Transport Injured Police Dogs | Massachusetts News | US News Photo by Jason Jarrach on Unsplash
