Local News

Nero’s Law passes the House in Massachusetts

The law would allow K-9 partners to be treated by emergency medical services or receive emergency transport.

Retired Yarmouth police K-9 Nero. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

By Gwen Egan

1 minute to read

The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a law that allows K-9 partners to receive emergency medical treatment and transport if they are hurt. This bill passed the Massachusetts State Senate already and is now headed on to Governor Charlie Baker’s office for a signature, according to reporting by WCVB-TV.

Nero’s Law is named after the K-9 partner of Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon. Gannon was shot and killed while serving a warrant in 2018.

During the same incident Nero, Gannon’s K-9 partner, was seriously injured. However, because of the regulations present at the time, Nero had to be transported to the nearest animal hospital in the back of a police cruiser instead of an ambulance.

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Nero was reported to have a gunshot wound to the side of his head, but he survived.

Rep. Steven Xiarhos, the deputy police chief at the time of the incident, said he’d never forget the sight of an injured Nero looking for Gannon, reported the State House News Service.

“K-9 police dogs provide several indispensable services to the Massachusetts police force and the Commonwealth as a whole. Given the sometimes dangerous jobs that police dogs are asked to undertake, providing them with any necessary emergency medical care is our moral responsibility,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement.

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Baker said he will be signing the bill into law.

“I’m thrilled that it made it through the process and got to our desk, and we’ll look forward to having some sort of signing ceremony associated with that,” Baker said to WBZ.

The bill still requires that people who require emergency services are treated prior to K-9 partners.

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