One week ago, Luca, the Clay County K9 Officer, had been exposed to a high concentration of ozone. On April 21, Luca, who was assigned to Clay County Investigator Steven Smith, had been crated and resting inside of the building that houses the Clay County Sheriff’s Offices Investigative Unit.
While in the crate, the Belgian Malinois K9 Luca was accidentally exposed to an ozone machine that had inadvertently been turned on. Fortunately, a short time later, Investigator Smith came into the room to check on Luca and found the dog in respiratory distress and vomiting.
Investigator Smith rushed Luca to Big Bear Veterinary Clinic in Hayesville where he was immediately seen and stabilized by Dr. Kayla Lawlor and her staff. Luca was sedated and airlifted to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville by an Erlanger Life Force Air Medical Helicopter. This is the first such transport of a K-9 under a new program with a specially trained flight crew.
Once at the hospital, Luca received the critical care, oxygen and monitoring needed for the acute lung injury and respiratory distress he suffered.
This specialized transport of a MEMBER of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office was done at no cost to Clay County. Luca has served the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in drug detection and apprehension efforts for seven years. Luca is currently being monitored.
On Saturday Luca was welcomed back home this evening at the square here in Hayesville.
He is such a vital part of our community and the work our Sheriff’s Office does on a daily basis to safeguard our residents.
As for questions about the incident, the sheriff’s office explained the ozone machine had been situated in a large conference room which is used by multiple officers from various agencies. Investigator Smith did not turn on the machine and had no idea it had been turned on. Fortunately, he had checked on Luca soon after the machine had been turned on and immediately ordered medical treatment that likely saved the dog’s life.
Mark Buchanan from the Sheriff’s Office posted the following statement on their Facebook page:
I, like almost everyone I’ve talked to, had absolutely no idea that a simple ozone machine, used to eliminate odors in buildings, vehicles, etc. could be harmful to animals and people. These machines can be purchased from Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, etc. for $50-60. I personally just finished my mandatory 2 hour in-service block of yearly training for hazardous materials. Nothing concerning the dangers of ozone machines has ever been covered throughout my 42 years of law enforcement training.
It is everyone’s hope that this unfortunate accident will draw attention and be used to educate people on the dangers of ozone machines.
Luca has since returned to his community as his recovery continues.
Get well soon K9 Luca.
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
5 top popular breeds
