ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital Expands Outreach with First-of-Its-Kind K9 Emergency Training for First Responders

ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital Trains First Responders with Hands-On K9 Emergency Training at Palm Beach State College Invitational.

ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, May 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital – Palm Beach County, a leader in advanced veterinary medicine and continuing education, is proud to announce our participation in the Annual Palm Beach Invitational at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth, FL. There we presented the K9 Emergency and Critical Care Workshop for First Responders.

A recognized teaching hospital that regularly provides continuing education (CE) for veterinarians, ACCESS has now expanded its curriculum to include hands-on critical care training for police officers, EMS personnel, and firefighters. The innovative two-hour workshop is part of ACCESS’s growing initiative to better equip first responders with the tools and knowledge to provide immediate, life-saving care to injured pets and working dogs in the field.

Led by Clayton Greenway, DVM, DACVECC, and members of our Emergency / Critical Care team, the workshop featured interactive, station-based training. First responders rotated through live demonstrations with mannequin dogs, learning how to safely handle aggressive dogs, stop bleeding, assess vitals, dose medications, perform tracheotomy techniques, CPR, and other emergency procedures. These high-impact skills aim to stabilize dogs during emergencies before they reach specialty care.

“This kind of training fills a vital gap,” said Dr. Greenway. “First responders are often the first line of care for police K9s or pets caught in fires, accidents, or violent incidents. With the right training, they can make all the difference in a dog’s survival.”

The ACCESS team collected feedback from attendees and plans to build upon the curriculum with future modules focused on poison protocol, managing smoke inhalation, and more advanced trauma care techniques. ACCESS will also continue to offer on-site K9 emergency CE training for first responder teams across the region.

Lt. Conor Devery of the Delray Fire Rescue stated, “I’ve been doing this job for 28 years and I never attended a CE event that offered practical procedures on how to handle K9 emergencies in the field. Dr. Greenway and his team provided valuable training that many first-responders haven’t received.”

As part of this community outreach, ACCESS invites first responders for behind-the-scenes tours of the hospital in Royal Palm Beach, offering insight into the level of emergency and critical care their patients receive once transferred.

ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital – Palm Beach County is proud to pioneer this new educational frontier, strengthening the bond between emergency service professionals and the animals they serve and protect.

About ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital
A.C.C.E.S.S., which stands for Advanced Critical Care, Emergency, and Specialty Services, is a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital with locations in Pasadena, California and Palm Beach County providing 24/7 emergency care and a wide range of specialty services including neurology, internal medicine, critical care, and surgery. ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital – Palm Beach County provides exceptional specialty veterinary care where pet owners and primary veterinarians have ACCESS to cutting edge medicine with the best doctors and support staff in a warm family environment. Committed to excellence in specialty veterinary medicine and education, ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital is a recognized teaching institution offering continuing education opportunities for veterinarians and now, first responders.

Christine St Laurent
ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital
+1 561-774-8760
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