TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — An air medical program in northern Michigan is now flying injured and critically ill police K-9s to veterinary care around the clock, the first service of its kind in the state, UpNorthLive reported.
North Flight Aero Med’s 24/7 service is meant to shorten the trip to advanced care for K-9s injured in remote areas, where local clinics may not be able to handle critical cases. The program is working with Munson Healthcare, Corewell Health and Michigan State University.
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“A lot of people don’t realize that clinics cannot provide some of the critical care that needs to be done when these officers are injured in the line of duty,” clinical flight operations manager Leslie Schutte said. “Michigan State University is really the go-to location for those officers. So that is required, especially when the officers are in really remote locations and they need that rapid transport.”
The team can treat a range of injuries or illnesses typically encountered in the field, including trauma, burns, poisonings, and heat-related injuries or illness.
During a flight, two flight nurse paramedics can provide emergency care while transporting the K-9 to a veterinary facility, though getting that help requires coordination between law enforcement and the flight crew.
“If a K-9 officer needs help, their K-9 handler would call the dispatch in their region. Their dispatch center would then call our flight communications team, which would then activate the emergency response system,” Schutte said.
