K-9 Down Rescue Program

Dr. Kirsten Cooke demonstrates IV catheter placement to K-9 Down attendees in 2006. Participating agencies included MacDill A.F.B., Hillsborough and Alachua County Fire Rescue, Tampa Bay Search and Rescue, Volusia County Fire, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Temple Terrace Police, and City of Bradenton Fire.What do you do when you come upon a severely injured dog or cat? Even EMTs and Paramedics are usually unsure. They're trained to stabilize and transport people, not animals.
One option is to attend "K-9 Down." The K-9 Down Program started in 2000 at the University of Florida. When UF stopped offering the program, course director Rita Hanel, a clinical assistant professor at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, decided to keep it going.
The two-session course teaches police officers, firefighters, search-and-rescue teams and others how to respond to a canine or feline health emergency. It is offered one weekend a year in Florida, in March, at the Florida Veterinary Specialists and Treatment Center, in Tampa. Limited to only 40 participants, the program costs $195 for nonprofit or government employees and $395 for employees of private organizations.

Read the story from the Naples Daily News here, or visit the K-9 Down Program website here. Photo credit: K-9 Down Program website.