Late yesterday afternoon, Massachusetts Governor Baker signed Nero’s Law!
Effective in 90 days, the new law allows emergency care and transportation for a police dog injured in the line of duty, while ensuring ambulance use remains a priority for human transport.
In preparation for when the new law takes effect, the Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association and the Department of State Police’s K9 unit, will now begin developing policies and procedures for each region of the state, which will include: (i) appropriate training of EMS personnel to provide police dogs basic level first aid, and (ii) cardiopulmonary resuscitation and life-saving interventions, including, but not limited to, administering naloxone to drug detection dogs when medically necessary.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) expresses our deepest appreciation to all Massachusetts residents, club members, and legislative liaisons who advocated multiple times over the past three years. Their efforts helped ensure the successful passage of this measure into law. Nero’s Law is not only a wonderful tribute to the working police K9s that serve our communities every day, but also serves as a true testament to what responsible dog owners, affiliated clubs, and AKC can accomplish when we work together. THANK YOU!
For more information on this or other legislative issues in Massachusetts, contact AKC Government Relations at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org; or the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners at info@massfeddogs.org.