New Tennessee law expands emergency care for K-9 Officers
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – New legislation aimed at helping injured police and canine officers in the field has officially passed through the Tennessee General Assembly.
The Tennessee Canine Emergency Medical Care and Transport Act now allows trained EMS personnel to provide emergency care and transportation to injured canines serving in the line of duty.
“For me, this was a really important piece of legislation, not just for what it did, but because of the unanimous bipartisan support that it brought,” Representative Michele Reneau explained. “I think it’s important to recognize that everyone can understand how important this is to protect our human officers just as much as we want to protect our canine officers.”
Steven Smith, handler of K9 Luca, spoke about the life-saving impact emergency care had on his partner after the canine was exposed to ozone.
“I found my dog, and he had been exposed to ozone,” Smith stated. “We determined at that point that he was going to need to be transported. For him to finally be recognized and get the same level of medical care that I would have gotten in that same situation, it saved Luca’s life.”
We also heard from Caity Henderson, one of the flight nurses who treated Luca during the emergency.
“We had just landed at Erlanger with a patient, and we got the call for Luca,” Henderson recalled. “It was boots on the ground. It was time to go. We’ve trained very hard for this, and it was surreal that we were the crew to take the first call. We got there, took care of Luca the best that we could, and made sure both he and his handler were ready to go.”
During the press conference, Senator Watson emphasized that any canine officer injured in the line of duty deserves the same urgency and care as any first responder.
“If you’re a law enforcement officer, whether you’re human or other, we will not leave you behind,” Watson said. “We will take care of you.”
As canine officers continue playing a critical role in law enforcement, supporters of the legislation say the new law recognizes the dangers these animals face every day while serving alongside their handlers.
