Lifesaving Care for the Dogs That Save Lives

During 22 years on active and reserve duty with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Clinical Assistant Professor Sean Majoy, D.V.M., V06, VG13, has seen the deep bond between human handlers and their “brave, selfless” canine partners. The dogs serve in myriad ways, from detecting explosives to protecting against armed enemies.

Military veterinarians treat these dogs, but support for the animals’ civilian counterparts has been lacking. In Massachusetts, it was not until the 2022 passage of Nero’s Law that EMTs were permitted—and are now required when human life is not at stake—to provide emergency care to injured police dogs. The law is named after a police dog that was critically injured while working but could not be treated or transported by first responders.

Now a 10-year $4.9 million grant from the Stanton Foundation has established the Chief Richard J. McLaughlin Center for Operational K-9s, a Center of Clinical Excellence at Cummings School. Named in honor of the Stanton Foundation’s K-9 program manager, who is a retired police chief, the new center focuses on training and education, clinical research, and clinical care.

The goal is to improve the health, safety, and longevity of police working dogs, or operational K-9s, from puppyhood through retirement, said Majoy, who serves as the center’s director. Previous grants from the foundation funded pilot research on the center and EMT training in the 
wake of Nero’s Law.

The new center is educating public safety personnel and veterinarians on injuries and disorders common in K-9s, their specialized health needs, and the day-to-day tasks and challenges encountered by dogs and handlers.

“We want veterinarians and handlers to speak the same language,” said Majoy. “For example, patrol dogs, trained to bite when defending or apprehending, are intimidating. In many cases, handlers need to be present during treatment.”

Clinical research is another priority. The center will be investigating whether different trauma scoring systems correlate with injury severity and predict injury patterns—knowledge that could improve K-9 treatment—and studying chronic problems such as dental disease.

The McLaughlin Center complements existing regional resources by offering specialized care and veterinarian training, such as how to anesthetize a police dog in a way that is safe for both canine and caregiver and new surgical approaches that could reduce care costs for cities and towns.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Cummings School and our range of experts to give back to working dogs and to involve area veterinarians and communities in this effort,” said Majoy.