In an event co-hosted by the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office and the North Houston Veterinary Specialists, Houston-area law enforcement and firefighters were invited to learn how perform first aid on K-9 dogs.
The event was held at the Harris County Sheriff’s and Fire Academy in Humble and featured veterinary surgeon Justin Payne.
According to Captain Dean Hensley of the Harris County Fire Marshal Office, K-9 handlers will leave the first aid training with extensive knowledge on providing emergency care to their dogs.
“We’ve got handlers here who have dogs that are patrolling narcotics and also arson accelerant dogs,” said Hensley. “The handlers are learning basic first aid steps so if their dog gets injured while they’re out working – broken leg, fractures, sprains, burns and things like that. The doctors or vet techs here are teaching the handlers how to give first aid to their dogs in case they get injured or sick.”
The training covered a range of topics including learning to perform CPR and checking vital sign on dogs, treating burns, fractures, gunshots, heatstroke and stabilization. For each of the four sessions that covered field triage, CPR, minor and major injuries, attendees engaged in a quick lecture with Dr. Payne and then received hands-on training on the topic covered. During the CPR training, attending officers were given the opportunity to practice chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth on a fake test puppy.
Captain Hensley says the training can be used to help K-9 officers, but also on pets that may need medical attention when law enforcement responds to calls.