Who's looking out for our local Retired K9 Officers???

VCA Support Local K9 Law Enforcement Officers both active and in retirement. 

For the next three months, VCA Charities is dedicating their fundraising efforts to local community charities. VCA Hollywood's efforts will be to raise awareness and funds for the Sheriff's Foundation of Broward County's Retired K9 Officers Healthcare Fund. We proudly support this fund and it's commitment to provide healthcare to K9 Officers in retirement. 

In retirement, K9 Police Officers are no longer financially supported by the department they served. Their handlers, or partners, are often the ones who voluntarily adopt these animals to live out their retirement in comfort. 

The Sheriff Foundation of Broward County Retired K9 Officers Heathcare Fund’s mission is to provide the best in wellness care to these canine officers that have worked to protect our S. Florida community by defraying veterinary care costs in their retirement. Every dollar we raise goes to support this wellness care.

Through direct donation and the sale of  VCA WOOF/MEOW hats and other apparel, we will be focusing our fundraising efforts on this worthy charity from March 24^th- June 15^th .

­­Donations can also be made at https://vcahospitals.com/in-the-community/vca-charities

or at http://sheriffsfoundationofbroward.org/

Simply note the Retired K9 Officer's Healthcare Fund upon donation. 

For more information and for other upcoming Retired K9 Officer's Healthcare Fund events visit:

https://www.retiredk9cause.org/

http://sheriffsfoundationofbroward.org/

https://hollywoodanimalhospital.blogspot.com/2017/05/retired-k9-officer-healthcare-fund.html

or call 954.920.3556 ext 105

VCA Boarding, 24 Hour Monitoring Saves Lives!!!!

Nearly one month ago, during a typical boarding stay in VCA Hollywood's Boarding Kennel, retired Ft. Lauderdale K9 Officer Boris' life was saved by our attentive Boarding Staff.

Boris is a 14 1/2 year old Belgium Malinois that retired afer a career of service with the Ft. Lauderdale K9 Unit. When he arrived with his former handler and now pet parent for his mid-week reservation, he was set up for a regular stay and made comfortable in his regular spot. However, this visit would be far from regular. As a boarder in our facility, both pre and post retirement, Boris is a regular visitor. His health and medical history is well know to our Doctors and his personality and preferences are well known to our staff.

Two days into his visit, as our 24 staff was monitoring the patients in our care, Boarding Attendant Dillon, notices Boris was not himself. He was salivating excessively and retching it seemed from the salivation. His abdomen appeared larger then normal and Dillon knew something was wrong. Dillon brought Boris to our ICU and our Emergency Doctor immediately performed a physical exam. Boris'  abdomen was very tense. Xrays were performed  and revealed a Gastric Dilation and Volvulus (GDV) Emergency surgical derotation was recommended. 

Gastric Dilation and Volvulus (GDV) is also known as a twisted stomach or gastric torsion. This medical condition affects dogs in which the stomach becomes overstretched and rotated by excessive gas content. GDV is a life threatening condition and requires prompt treatment. The word Bloat is often used to refer to a GDV but that general term really means gas distention without the twisting or torsion of the stomach.

Historically, GDV held a guard prognosis but more recent studies have determined that with prompt treatment and pre-operative stabilization success rate significant in crease. For Boris, immediate  stabilization was begun and his long time Partner/ Parent approved surgery to untwist his stomach. Surgery went without incident and while under anesthesia, a gastropexy was also performed to secure his stomach by suture to the inner side of his body wall thus, preventing this from ever happening again. 

Boris recovered from anesthesia without incident and spent the next several days in our Intensive Care Unit. Post-operatively, Boris experienced some significant hind end weakness, an immediate unwillingness to eat and mild anxiety and tachycardia (increased heart rate). However, with 24 hour care and monitoring, all of these symptoms resolved and he was prepared for discharge.

Today, Boris is back to his business as usual. We are proud of the trust his family placed in us to care for Boris and proud of the work our team did to ensure he gets to enjoy his retirement.

Retired K9 Officer Healthcare Fund!!

VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital is proud to share our inaugural partnership with the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County Retired K9 Officers Healthcare Fund (RK9OHF) to raise money for the coverage of veterinary care costs to canine police officers that have worked to protect our S. Florida community.

In retirement, canine officers often live out their years in comfort with their handlers, or partners. Yet, after a career of service these officers are prone to advance orthopedic and service related conditions in addition to issues associated with a senior pet. Typically, there is no financial support for these officers after retirement.

It is the belief of the RK9OHF that the cost of healthcare should be supplemented. The Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County could not agree more.  As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that collects and manages donations to memorial/ healthcare funds, training programs, education programs and other local nonprofit organizations the Retried K9 Officer Healthcare Fund seemed a perfect extension of their mission. 

 

Under the supervision of the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County, the RK9OHF and VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital provide the best in wellness care to these officers and cover a portion of those costs.

With this partnership, retired K9 officers receive preventative care from VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital at a negotiated rate and the RK9OHF cover a portion of those fees. Total cost to the handler/partner is 35% of the initial bill. 

Please consider donating to the RK9OHC to support our South Florida K9 Police Officers in their retirement.  

Donations can be made directly at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital

Or by mail at

VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital

c/o Sheriff Foundation of Broward County

Retired K9 Officers Healthcare Fund

2864 Hollywood Blvd

Hollywood, Fl 33020

100% of all donations made to the Retired K9 Officer Healthcare Fund go to the cost of care for these K9 Officers.

For additional information about this fund please phone VCA Hollywood at 954-920-3556, email us at RK9OHF@gmail.com or reach out to the Sheriff Foundation of Broward County at http://sheriffsfoundationofbroward.org/

Retired K9 Officers Healthcare Fund is a 501(c)(3) serving under the supervision of the Sheriff's Foundation of Broward County- 85-8013389700C-0, tax ID# 65-0898338

K9 Officer First Aid Training!!!!!!!!

After nearly 70 years of caring for the pets in South Florida, VCA Hollywood has developed strong relationships with our community. These relationships have transcended the doctor:patient bond and established us a solid resource for best pet care. This bond is no more epitomized than with our law enforcement community. For decades we have cared for our state and local police K9 officers for wellness and emergency care. This week, we offered these same officers an opportunity to take care into their own hands with our annual K9 Officer First Aid Training.


Thirty officers from area K9 Units joined us to bone up on their canine care with Leah S, LVT. Leah has offered this training at least once a year to our officers and teaches them to adapt their knowledge of human emergency care to pet care. These Officers learn and practice taking vitals, doing CPR and emergency wound management.

The men where all ears to understand the best practices for caring for their K9 partners.

This year, through a grant for the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) special, customized emergency kits were purchased for each officer ensuring they will have everything they need if their partner is injured in the line of duty.

We are grateful for the service these officers perform and proud to be a part of their continued safety.