Public Hearing Scheduled on Concept Proposed by Rep. Scott to Treat Injured Police K9s

Hartford— State Representative Tony Scott (R-112) proposed a bill this legislative session that would allow emergency medical services personnel to provide emergency treatment and transportation to police dogs injured in the line of duty.

The Public Safety Committee will hold a Public Hearing Tuesday, February 14 on this concept, along with ones to increase the penalty for intentionally injuring a police animal or dog in a volunteer canine search and rescue team, establish a penalty for annoying, teasing, tormenting or harassing a police animal confined in a motor vehicle, and establish a grant program to provide canine officers with body armor.

“I proposed this measure to allow EMS personnel to transport an injured police dog by ambulance to a veterinary clinic or similar facility providing treatment. This would be allowed if there are no individuals in need of emergency treatment or transportation at the time.”

A similar law was approved in Massachusetts last year after being proposed by Rep. Steve Xiarhos. Nero’s Law was named for the K9 partner of Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon, who was shot and killed in April 2018 while serving a search warrant. Nero was rushed to an animal hospital in a police cruiser while empty ambulances sat at the scene. The law has been used twice since enactment to transport injured K9 officers to veterinary hospitals, once in July and once in December. In the latest incident, K9 Orry was in a police cruiser by the side of a highway when it was struck by a Connecticut driver.

Bill status information is available on the General Assembly’s website (www.cga.ct.gov).