K9 Ace, a police dog from Polk County, is recovering at home after being shot during a search warrant operation. The brave canine saved three deputies, including his handler, before undergoing surgery to amputate his left front leg.
Emergency Air Transport
Aeromed 4 flew K9 Ace from Polk County to the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County in just 25 minutes, cutting more than an hour off ground travel time. Metro Aviation line pilot Chad Loftin flew the mission for Tampa General Hospital.
Flight nurse Donny Richardson developed Florida’s first canine air transport program in 2022, and Tampa General Aeromed officially launched the service in 2023 with K9 Ace as its first patient. Flight crews train annually on a high-fidelity simulator named ‘K9 Hero’ to practice starting IVs, placing needles and performing “stop the bleed” procedures.
Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
