Allowing police service dogs to receive emergency veterinary medical services while on duty

BACKGROUND. Current law provides for veterinary medical services that include diagnosing or treating an animal’s injury. The services are required to be provided by a veterinarian holding a license or temporary permit issued by the Iowa board of veterinary medicine (Code chapter 169).4). BILL’S PROVISIONS —— GENERAL PROVISIONS., county sheriff or deputy, police officer employed by a city, or member of the department of public safety). The police service dog must be injured while on duty, the injury must be severe, and the aid must be necessary to immediately stabilize the police service dog’s condition for later diagnosis or treatment by a licensed veterinarian or temporary permit holder. A care provider who acts in good faith to provide veterinary medical services to a police service dog is not civilly liable. BILL’S PROVISIONS —— CONDITIONS. The care provider in furnishing aid to the police service dog must comply with a number of conditions. The care provider must first furnish aid to the last human at the scene of the emergency; must not use equipment, or discontinue the use of equipment, to furnish aid to a treat a police service dog if the equipment is needed to furnish aid to a human at the scene of the emergency or the equipment is dispatched to another location; and must not render aid to a police service dog, or discontinue rendering aid, at the scene of an emergency, if the care provider is dispatched to another location or the vehicle used to transport the care provider is dispatched to another location. In addition, the police service dog cannot be transported in a vehicle that provides emergency medical or ambulance services.