First responders won’t have to worry about legal ramifications for giving pets mouth-to-snout emergency care if a new bill passes in California.
Dog receives mouth-to-snout emergency treatment in a KTLA file photo.
Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, introduced SB 1305, Friday. Under the bill, neither first responders nor their employers would be liable for civil damages or criminal prosecution if they provided pre-veterinary care to an injured dog or cat at the scene of an emergency.
“Any first responder who puts mouth to snout to save a poor pooch’s or kitty’s life deserves only high praise and encouragement,” Glazer said in a news release. “Our pets are so important to us, that we all would appreciate any effort to save them in an emergency. We should reward, not punish, those who protect our pets.”
Right now, only licensed veterinarians can provide emergency care in California. Firefighters and paramedics are not allowed to provide basic first aid to dogs and cats that are rescued from house fires or other emergencies.
A violation of the law could result in a misdemeanor, fine of $500 to $2,000, and/or jail for up to one year.
If the bill passes, first responders would not be obligated to treat pets, but could give mouth-to-snout CPR, apply bandages, or administer naloxone hydrochloride, a drug for K-9s when they inhale narcotics.
SB 1305 is co-authored by Assembly members Catharine Baker, R-Dublin; Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside; Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco; and Marc Steinorth, R-Rancho Cucamonga.
from KTLA http://ift.tt/2oDrgaT
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