K9 cops merit our support

We must protect police dogs who are injured in the line of duty.

Last year, when Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon was shot and killed while serving a warrant, his K9 partner “Nero” was also shot and severely injured. Unfortunately, due to an archaic state law, licensed medical professionals are prohibited from treating or transporting police K9s.

In Nero’s case, there were plenty of vehicles available to take him to a medical facility but no one made the move because it would have been illegal. After hours, a couple of responders on the scene empowered themselves to act and brought Nero to help.

Now, Republican Rep. Will Crocker and Democratic Sen. Mark Montigny have sponsored a bill that would permit first responders to treat injured police dogs and bring them to medical facilities, as long as there are no persons requiring medical transport at that time.

The bill is straightforward: “EMS providers are granted limited authority to render pre-hospital emergency veterinary care … to operational working animals injured in the line of duty.”

On Beacon Hill, Denise Gannon — Officer Gannon’s mother — asked lawmakers to think of her son’s affection for his K9 partner, knowing that he was left untreated for hours.

“If Sean would have seen that,” she said, “as any K9 officer would, he would have been devastated, because they live not only as working partners but as their family members. I would ask each one of you, as members of the committee, who would you leave in your family, in that state, for hours without being attended immediately?”

We believe that House Bill “H.2037191 – An act providing for the care and transportation of police dogs injured in the line of duty” is a practical and productive measure that will protect law enforcement assets, and trusted four-legged colleagues to the men and women in blue.

The bill should be passed and the law changed for the good of the community and law enforcement.