Pet first aid, CPR training programs surge in popularity

Published on August 1, 2009

By Daniel Simmons

"How would I do this for my dog?" The question came during a human CPR course Thom Somes was teaching in San Diego in 1994. He remembers the epiphany it sparked: "Shouldn't I be teaching CPR classes for my students' four-legged kids, too?"

Somes and his wife, Cindy, started Pet Tech, a suburban San Diego company believed to be the first in the country to train people in pet first aid and emergency preparedness. Since 1996, the company has trained at least 20,000 people nationally and has instructors in every state.

Trainees include Roberta Chapman, co-owner of highly rated Comfy Creatures Dog Walking & Pet Sitting near Detroit and San Fransicso's Hot Diggity Dog Walking! owner Donna Milich.

Photo courtesy of Comfy Creatures | Roberta Chapman, co-owner of highly rated Comfy Creatures in Livonia, Mich., demonstrates how to bandage a dog’s paw.

"Since there's no 911 for pets," Chapman says, "the first responder needs to know what to do."

She says having her company's six pet sitters trained makes her business stand out from others.

The American Animal Hospital Association estimates one of four pet deaths could be prevented by a well-trained first responder. "We want them to be reactive in an emergency and proactive in a pet's well-being," Somes says.

Photo courtesy of Hot Diggity Dog Walking | Dog walker James Juanillo recently resuscitated a Yorkie client using CPR.

The training includes everything from emergency aid, like CPR and staunching wounds, to everyday care, such as dental health, disease checks and pet evacuation plans. The American Red Cross increased its animal-focused training after Hurricane Katrina, when hundreds of pets perished. "It made us realize pets are part of our families," says Dr. Debbie Mandell, emergency veterinarian and Red Cross advisor.

Nearly every chapter in the country now offers courses in pet first aid and emergency preparedness, and more than 18,000 people got trained in 2008, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Lubrani.

Milich says her employees' Pet Tech training, which is more intensive than its Red Cross counterpart, recently saved the day. In May, dog walker James Juanillo noticed Scout, an older Yorkie, lying unconscious on a trail during a group walk. He immediately put his training into action. "He resuscitated Scout [with CPR], and when he heard a heartbeat, he called me," she says.

They rushed Scout to an animal hospital, where he was treated for an undiagnosed heart condition. Milich believes Juanillo's actions reaffirmed the importance of getting trained. "I e-mailed all my clients suggesting they get trained, too," she says.