The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security has reviewed HB 2037 and SB 1431 providing for EMT care and transportation of police dogs injured in the line of duty and just favorably released a re-drafted bill, now SB 2423, to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. In addition to authorizing EMTs to provide basic life support measures, the bill now specifies safe canine handling and proper decontamination procedures.
Named after Nero, a Yarmouth Police K9 shot in a deadly 2018 April incident, Nero’s Law has received an outpouring of support from kennel club members across the state who called and emailed their state legislators requesting favorable action.
The family of Nero’s handler, Sergeant Sean Gannon who was killed that fateful day, along with public safety and law enforcement officials, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine faculty, AKC’s GR analyst for New England, and bill sponsors Rep. Will Crocker and Sen. Mark Montigny, appeared before the committee in July to urge quick passage.
AKC GR has expressed gratitude to the committee and will continue to monitor the bill’s progress and provide timely information so advocates of Nero’s law can continue to urge final passage.
More than 200 police K9s work to protect Massachusetts communities each day. AKC values the contribution that all working, and detection dogs make to national security and the extraordinary role that these dogs play in protecting the peace and security of individuals and communities. AKC honors the breeders, trainers and handlers of these dogs, and supports efforts to ensure that specialized care is provided to protect the wellbeing of these dogs.
For more information on this or other legislative issues in Massachusetts, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org; or MassFed at info@massfeddogs.org.