MA Police Dog Injured On Duty Gets Ambulance Transport Under New Law

WESTBOROUGH, MA — After a state police trooper and his four-legged partner were injured in a crash Monday afternoon, both were taken by ambulance for treatment thanks to a new Massachusetts law that protects police dogs injured on duty, Westborough Fire said.

The ambulance transport was only the second made under Nero's Law, which was passed this year and has made it possible for police dogs to be treated and transported by ambulance operators, the department said.

Both State Police Trooper Kenneth Hanchett and his K-9 partner Orry were injured when their cruiser was struck from behind by another vehicle while they were working on a road detail on I-495 South in Hopkinton, according to the department.

Westborough Fire transported Trooper Hanchett in one ambulance to a local hospital and Orry in another to Tufts Veterinary Hospital in North Grafton, according to the department. They were both treated and released the following day.

The law is named after a dog named Nero, the retired partner of the late Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon. The bill was sponsored by Representative Steven Xiarhos and Senator Mark Montigny.

The first use of Nero’s Law occurred in July, when a Massachusetts State Police dog was given emergency care after being shot by a suspect in Fitchburg, Westborough Fire said.

Prior to the passage of Nero’s Law, emergency medical providers were not allowed to care for or provide transport for dogs injured in the line of duty.

“Due to Nero’s Law, public safety officials are able to ensure that police K-9s receive immediate treatment and medical attention when suffering a line of duty injury,” Chief Patrick Purcell of the Westborough Fire Department said. “We are honored to be involved in one of the very first uses of this law and are humbled to play a small part in representing and paying tribute to the memory of Sgt. Gannon. We are also happy to hear that Trooper Hanchett and K-9 Orry are doing well in their recovery.”