In 1993, while crossing the street, a young woman and her dog were hit by a slow-moving van. Fortunately, neither the woman nor her dog suffered a life-threatening injury. If you’re wondering what’s special about this incident, Vanessa Lowery is blind, and Ozzie was her guide dog. “The paramedics suggested in 1993 that I should allow them to transport me to the hospital to be checked out,” says Lowery, “but I declined when I was told that my dog would not be able to go in the ambulance with me.”

Constant Companions

Guide dogs are specially bred and trained dogs that work with their visually-impaired humans to navigate streets, manage stairs and escalators, and maneuver through crowds of people. They expand their owners’ opportunities for independence, mobility, employment and social involvement. Spend a little time talking with blind people about their guide dogs and you quickly realize that the dog is almost an extension of its owner. Dog and owner are a team, and they depend on each other.

Unlike family pets, guide dogs go just about everywhere with their owners. Since they are usually with their owners 24 hours a day, if you are called to provide EMS care to an impaired patient, you may also have to deal with the guide dog.

Developing a Dog-Friendly Plan

About three years ago, Lowery contacted me to ask if the Baltimore County Fire Department had a plan for dealing with guide dogs whose owners were ill or injured and under our care. The short answer was no. I explained that EMS people are pretty good at working under pressure, thinking on their feet and coming up with innovative solutions to problems. But when Ms. Lowery shared her story with me about how the lack of a plan for her dog resulted in her refusing EMS services, I knew this was an issue that needed to be addressed.

Shortly after our first contact, Lowery was injured again. This time, the ambulance crew offered to let her guide dog accompany her to the hospital in the ambulance; however, she realized that was not a good option because she could not properly control the dog while on our stretcher in the ambulance or lying in a bed at the hospital. Fortunately, there were friends and neighbors available to care for her dog.