Nero’s Bills

Photo from Yarmouth Police Department Facebook

S. 2423 (formerly S. 1431): An Act allowing humane transportation of K9 partners, a.k.a. “Nero’s Bill”
H. 4230 (formerly H. 2037): An Act providing for the care and transportation of police dogs injured in the line of duty, a.k.a. “Nero’s Bill”

MSPCA Position: Support
Sponsors: Senator Mark Montigny, Representative William Crocker
Status: Both bills released favorably from the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. S. 2423 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and H. 4230 has been referred to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.

While not identical, both of these bills would allow a law enforcement dog injured in the line of duty to be transported in an ambulance if there is not competing need for human transport.

The town of Yarmouth suffered an incredible tragedy in April of 2018 when Sergeant Sean Gannon was killed in the line of duty. Also injured in this vicious attack was Gannon’s canine partner, Nero. Nero suffered life-threatening injuries and was unable to be rescued due to existing state law that prohibits working animals from being treated or transported by emergency personnel. Instead, Nero had to wait nearly four hours before a retired K9 police officer could arrive on scene to retrieve Nero from the scene and help with his injuries before he was driven to the emergency veterinary hospital.

This legislation would:

• Allow emergency personnel to treat injured operational working animals.
• Allow emergency personnel to transport injured operational working animals.
• Require any emergency personnel that would render care to an operational working animal to have completed training consistent with standards approved by the Office of Emergency Medical Services.

Media:

Police dogs deserve emergency medical care – The Boston Globe

Mass. bill proposed to provide medical service to on-duty animals – Boston Herald