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TAMPA, FL – Sgt. Ron Cain of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has seen it all. One time his partner cut his foot on a broken beer bottle while tracking a suspect. Another deputy’s partner was slashed with a box cutter. Still another was attacked by a swarm of yellow jackets.
These were not your typical law enforcement partners, however. They had four legs, not two. And that meant they needed their own kind of unique medical attention – the police dogs needed specialized treatment on the scene immediately before they could be whisked away to a veterinarian for additional help.
To make sure that more law enforcement officers and fire/rescue personnel know what to do when man’s best friend is injured, two sessions -- called K-9 Down -- are planned early next year to give them hands-on experience.
The first will be at Florida Veterinary Specialists and Cancer Treatment Center on March 3-4; the second will be at New York City Veterinary Specialists and Cancer Treatment Center on May 5-6.
At the sessions, which are taught by board-certified veterinary specialists, participants will learn how to treat gunshot wounds, perform CPR, apply bandages, take vital signs and do other things that are vital in helping an injured animal survive. The classes also are helpful for fire rescue workers who may pluck a pooch from a burning building or come across a pet with some other type of health emergency.
“I think it’s invaluable,’’ said Dr. Rita Hanel, the course director who teaches at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “They can get shot. They can get trapped in a smoke-filled building. That first half-hour is so vital. They’re our paramedics in that situation.’’
The Hillsborough sheriff’s office has sent deputies before to the seminars, now in their third year, and plans to do so again this time.
“It’s a great tool to have the information in case something does happen to your dog,’’ Cain said. “Anything can happen to them just like anything could happen to a human being.’’
Registration for K-9 Down is now open. Participants may register online at www.k9down.com or by phone or mail. Space is limited to 40 positions for each seminar. For questions about registration, call Gail Moore, Course Administrator at (813) 933-8944.
This event has been made possible by the Florida Veterinary Specialists Charitable Foundation. The Foundation is designed to work hand-in-hand with the clinical hospitals to support research, education and indigent care. K-9 Down is a fundraiser for the Foundation.
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