Retired K-9 Police Unit Nero
HYANNIS – Nero’s Law has received the approval of the State Senate, joining the House of Representatives which gave its go-ahead last week.
The legislation would ensure that law enforcement officers’ K-9 partners can receive medical attention and transport by EMTs if they are injured in the line of duty.
The bill was filed in response to the shooting death of Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon that also severely injured his K-9 partner Nero.
“Sergeant Sean Gannon was a dedicated officer of the Yarmouth Police Department known for his restraint and his quiet but firm sense of right and wrong. His tragic murder — and the life threatening injuries sustained by his canine Nero — left the Cape and Islands in shock and grieving,” said Cape & Islands State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro), a supporter of the bill.
“We rely on canines to serve alongside police officers to go where we cannot, seek out what we cannot detect, and search for the vulnerable in their most trying moments, yet existing law prohibits emergency responders from treating and transporting police canines like Nero when they are most in need.”
The bill now moves to Governor Charlie Baker’s desk for consideration.
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