Law enforcement patrol and detection dogs are routinely exposed to hazardous situations in the course of carrying out their duties and protecting the community. To keep them safe, more than sixty K-9 handlers from over thirty Bay Area police and sheriff’s K-9 units participated in a “Cover Your K-9” Regional Emergency Medicine Course to learn advanced first aid and emergency care skills to assist their police dogs in the event of an emergency.
A volunteer veterinary teaching team of four doctors and eight veterinary technicians was led by Dr. Robert Lukas of the Sage Centers for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care. The vets and techs were assisted by members of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue K-9 team along with the “Cover Your K-9” and Pet Food Express volunteer teams. Special volunteer live ‘demo dogs’ from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue K-9 Unit helped the officers learn splinting and bandaging skills and furry dog mannequins called ‘resusci-dogs’ were used to teach CPR.
With budget cuts affecting so many local K-9 units, Pet Food Express wanted to help and has hosted the Annual “Cover Your K-9” fundraiser for the past two years. Hundreds of pet owners and animal lovers come together at their stores all over the Bay Area to raise funds to help keep hardworking police dogs safe. The “Cover Your K-9” Program has helped protect over 100 police dogs in California with special bullet-proof vests, has provoded 16 police teams with new heat sensors for their patrol cars, and has assisted retired dogs with emergency veterinary care. With this event 60 K-9 handlers have received advanced training and custom trauma kits designed by the veterinary specialists at Sage Centers that include a special K-9 oxygen mask. The custom kits will be provided to each officer to carry in their patrol cars to enable them to provide first aid care to their police dog in case of an emergency.
For more information please go to www.coveryourk9.org
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Main article photo by: Courtesey coverYourK-9.com
