#MakingADifference
#ForDogsSake
Mission: Serving K9s in THEIR Time of Need
We believe that every working K9 should have the equivalent medical, rescue, and evacuation resources available to them as their human counterparts. And it is our goal to achieve this through education at the handler, responder, veterinarian, and national industry level.
Education
The K9 MEDIC education program has been in development since 2004. It was originally based on the human Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) program before the Canine-TCCC was introduced and incorporated into the program in 2012. The K9 MEDIC training program provides K9 handlers, medics, tactical medics, and other support members with the medical skills needed to prevent and treat injuries and illnesses in working dogs. This is accomplished by teaching human medical practitioners how to transfer their existing medical skills to the K9 patient. We also work with K9 handlers to expand their medical awareness and skills. Finally, we work with those in the veterinary industry, teaching them how to apply their skills in a prehospital field environment.
Industry Standards
It is the ultimate goal of K9 MEDIC to work with industry standard-setting agencies to build a consensus of accepted standards and protocols for the prehospital care of working dogs. We act as advocates and consultants to assist with policy development, mutual aid protocols, and governing board approvals. We provide continuing education credit for EMS, law enforcement (POST), and veterinary (RACE) professionals in many states and seek to create national multidisciplinary education standards.
Leadership Team
Jo-Anne Brenner, Executive Director and Founder
Jo-Anne is the Executive Director and Founder of K9 MEDIC®, the leading multi-disciplinary team of Veterinary, Special Operations, EMS, K9, SAR and Education experts. Jo-Anne and her team have taught over 100 agencies domestically and overseas since 2004. She is a frequent speaker across the country and a member of the K9-TECC Working Group and ACVECC VetCOT Prehospital Sub-Committee. She brings a broad spectrum of experience to her classes; previously, she deployed to Hurricane Katrina as a Tactical Medic and K9 Handler, hiked across the arctic circle, was a former wilderness medicine subject matter expert, an NREMT-I, and certified Protection Specialist. She has been invited to teach a wide range of students from local PD K9 Handlers to EMS agencies to Pararescue teams. Throughout her multiple education careers, she has taught more than 10,000 students in 14 countries, and in five languages.
Tammy Vretis, DVM, Veterinary Medical Director
Tammy Vretis, DVM is a graduate of Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and has worked in private practice for several years. Prior to becoming a veterinarian, she was a Registered Respiratory Therapist for ten years.
Dr. Vretis has completed the 2-week Tactical Medicine Course at the International School of Tactical Medicine and the Exterior Response to Active Shooter Events course taught by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center.
She is an NAEMT TCCC instructor and serves as Veterinary Medical Director for the Center for Tactical Medicine. Dr. Vretis has been an instructor with K9 MEDIC® since 2018 and has taught multiple courses for numerous agencies.
She is a member of the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, Texas Veterinary Medical Association (Disaster Preparedness Committee), and Special Operations Medical Association.
As an active member of the tactical medicine and veterinary communities, Dr. Vretis has an excellent ability to bridge the gap between leading edge human medicine and veterinary medicine. She shares that expertise with K9 MEDIC® advisors, trainers, and students.
Advisory Team:
Our comprehensive Advisory Team includes Veterinary Specialists in Emergency and Critical Care, Surgery and Toxicology. We also draw from Tactical Medicine Physicians, TCCC Instructors, SWAT/Combat medics and EMS Agencies. K9 Handlers from law enforcement, the military and SAR ensure the techniques are field-ready.
