Massachusetts legislators are proposing two bills that would help protect injured and retired police K9s.

Dakota's Law aims to provide funding for retired police dogs, where the second bill will expand on a previous bill, Nero's Law, that allowed basic first aid to be given to police dogs injured in the line of duty.

"When an officer retires, they leave with a pension, health care, and support," said Sgt. Erik Ramsland, K9 Commander of the Massachusetts State Police. "When a K9 retires they leave with nothing."

Dakota's Law and Nero's Law

The cost of their care and medical needs are usually covered by the department, a nonprofit, or the handler themselves. Ramsland spoke in front of legislators at the State House on Thursday. His retired dog got sick, and the bills cost him more than $18,000. Thankfully, a nonprofit stepped up to pay the bill.

"This bill creates a fund so we can take care of them," says State Rep. Steven Xiarhos, one of the politicians proposing the two bills.

"It's well deserved at that point. These dogs are great tools, and they take their job seriously, and at some point in their life they should be able to relax and be a dog," said Barnstable County Sheriff Deputy and K9 Handler Shawn Price.

Weeks ago, WBZ-TV took viewers to a Police K9 PTSD Research Center in Seekonk. It's a place for retired police dogs to live out their days. It's where Dakota, the retired dog for whom the bill is named, went to live.

"The number one thing that will happen to a K9 with post-traumatic stress disorder is that it will be euthanized because the behavior is so difficult to deal with," explained Jim LaMonte, founder of the K9 PTSD Research Center.

License plate funds to benefit retired K9s

The center is volunteer-based and runs on donations. Xiarhos said part of the funding from the bill will go to keep that center operational.

"This will solve that, and part of the funding source is the new license plate," added Xiarhos, talking about a new Massachusetts license plate to honor police K9s.

The plates cost $40 and Xiarhos said they have already sold 1,500 in the first nine days of them being available for purchase. LaMonte needed to sell 3,000 before production, or else the center would be stuck paying the rest of the production costs. The response has been overwhelming.

"It's the hottest selling plate in Massachusetts history. No other plate has sold that fast, and some of that money will fund to take care of these dogs," said Xiarhos.

The plate not only honors police dogs with a logo on the left side, but it bears the initials "SG." The letters are for Sgt. Sean Gannon, a Yarmouth K9 handler who was shot and killed in the line of duty. His K9 partner Nero was also injured in the incident. Nero's Law is named after his dog and passed in 2022. The law allows first aid to be given to K9's who are hurt on the job. Xiarhos is proposing an expansion to that which will add additional medical training for first responders who want to attend to these injured K9 officers.

"Advanced first aid would be the ability to give medication, to put IV therapy, oxygen, things like that," listed Xiarhos.

Xiarhos expects the bills to be voted on in about a month or so.