Rescue dogs to get better medical treatment

By Jun Ji-hye

Rescue dogs that have been playing important roles for emergency teams nationwide will receive more systematic medical treatment and healthcare services through an agreement between the National 119 Rescue Headquarters and the Armed Force Medical Science Research Institute.

The National Fire Agency said Sunday that the two institutes signed the agreement on March 25.

Rescue dogs have been specially trained to perform duties such as finding people in scenes of fires or tracking down missing persons trapped in natural disaster areas or deep within mountainous areas.

The Armed Forces Medical Science Research Institute is based under the Armed Forces Medical Command.

Under the agreement, the rescue headquarters and the research institute will enhance their cooperation in healthcare and medical treatment for rescue dogs and share relevant documents and information.

So far, privately run animal hospitals have been contracted to treat rescue dogs, the fire agency said, noting that the latest agreement will enable the dogs to receive more systematic healthcare and treatment offered by the research institute that possesses rich experience in the veterinary science field.

The agreement will also make it possible to offer faster treatment for the dogs in any emergency situation.

There are 60 rescue dogs in Korea ― 38 at the rescue headquarters and 22 at major fire stations across the country.

These dogs have been deployed in 2,055 rescue operations from 2018 to 2020, rescuing 48 people.

The agency is planning to train an additional 48 rescue dogs by the end of 2024.

“The keen cooperation between the two organizations will help improve emergency medical treatment and healthcare for rescue dogs,” said Choi Byung-il, the director of the rescue headquarters.