PHOTO: Shown from left are K-9 Nero, Senior Police Officer Oscar Garcia and Senior Police Officer Jake Garza.
The Victoria Police Department has partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to provide a free Advanced K-9 Medical Training course for the Victoria Police Department’s K-9 Unit and any K-9 team that would like to participate.
The one-day intensive training will be hosted Aug. 12 at the University of Houston-Victoria Northwest Campus.
This training will help K-9 handlers identify medical issues and work through problems they may encounter during actual deployments. Topics include heat-related emergencies, administration of fluids, application of tourniquets and stabilization of broken bones.
The training is sponsored by the ATF and coordinated by ATF Special Agent Dan Kaase, who specializes in medical training for K-9 handlers.
Police Chief Roberto Arredondo and his wife, who is a K-9 handler for the Dallas Police Department, reached out to Kaase about the training after a VPD K-9 recently suffered a heatstroke while pursuing a suspect after a bailout. The K-9 was immediately taken to a vet, where he was kept overnight before being sent home to recover.
“We were all very concerned for our K-9 family member and prayed for his speedy recovery,” Arredondo said. “I could tell from the photos that he was not feeling well, and I didn’t want that to happen to another K-9. This training will equip our officers with the skills and knowledge to recognize heat-related symptoms and other medical issues and provide first aid to their K-9 partners in the field.”
K-9 handlers or teams who wish to participate should contact Kaase at (214)-435-2912 or daniel.kaase@atf.gov.
For more information about Victoria Police Department events and programs, visit www.victoriatx.gov/police or follow Victoria Police Department on Facebook.