Emergency medical services: dogs and cats.

Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez's legislation authorizes licensed ambulance operators and tribal fire departments to transport injured police canines and search and rescue dogs to veterinary facilities when no human patients require medical attention. The measure permits emergency responders to provide basic first aid to these animals during transport while extending liability protections to those acting in good faith without compensation.

Under the bill's provisions, ambulance operators that elect to transport service animals must develop specific policies covering equipment requirements and decontamination procedures, which require approval from local emergency medical services agencies. Fire departments of federally recognized Indian tribes are exempt from this policy submission requirement. The legislation defines police canines as those employed by law enforcement, correctional agencies, or fire departments for duties like detecting criminal activity and apprehending suspects.

The measure maintains existing protections allowing emergency responders to provide basic first aid to dogs and cats, including oxygen administration, airway management, and hemorrhage control. It explicitly states that emergency services are not required for animals in response to 911 calls and establishes that contracts for emergency medical response cannot mandate care or transport for police canines or search and rescue dogs.