Charleston Animal Society Provides Training to Mt. Pleasant EMTs

Police Dog’s Fall Prompts Change for Mt. Pleasant K9s

It was a horrible fall. A three-story plunge by one of Mt. Pleasant’s finest during a training exercise. When Arko, a police K9, hit the ground after falling through a window two years ago, his handlers did everything they could to save him and rushed Arko to a nearby emergency vet for treatment.

While he was seriously injured, Arko survived and is now enjoying retirement in the home of his K9 handler.

ARKO’S FALL PROMPTS CHANGE

In an effort to ensure that injured K9s receive veterinary medical care immediately following an injury, Mt. Pleasant Police and Paramedics teamed up with Charleston Animal Society for annual training in advanced lifesaving care for police dogs.

The hands-on program will train the Mount Pleasant Fire Department’s Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) Team to be able to provide Paramedic care to an injured law enforcement K9 in emergency cases.

The 2021 training began May 14 at Charleston Animal Society and was led by the Society’s Chief Veterinary Officer Lucy Fuller, DVM, “We think this is an amazing program and we want to support our first responders in any way we can.”  (CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO AND INTERVIEWS FROM THE MAY 14 TRAINING)

The TEMS Team consists of one Emergency Physician, one Chief Officer Paramedic, and five Tactical Paramedics that are already trained to provide medical care in the tactical setting.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

K9 Handlers now have the ability to request a TEMS Paramedic for training. TEMS Paramedics also respond with the K9s to emergency scenes where the K9s will be utilized.

Paramedics are already trained to provide the care outlined in this program to human patients. The programs curriculum will include an anatomy section on police working dogs and scenarios of providing K9 care in the tactical environment.

Members of the TEMS Team will periodically visit Charleston Animal Society to continue training in the anatomy and treatment of dogs with on-staff veterinarians, in the constantly evolving field of emergency veterinary medicine.

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST