The Emergency and Critical Care Service at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) is hosting the Emergency Management of the Working Dog Conference Friday May 29, 2026.
The complimentary conference is designed to help K9 handlers and medical first responders become familiar with emergency techniques so they can respond appropriately in the field and during transport to a veterinary facility. “One of the unique differences between human and veterinary medicine is access to pre-hospital care,” says Leslie Wereszczak, director of Emergency and Critical Care at UTCVM.
“Because early intervention can provide a more positive outcome, we want to give the first responders those tools so they can administer life-saving treatment.”
Friday, May 29, 2026 for medical first responders, and K9 handlers. The conference includes refreshments and lunch and will be held 9:00am – 4:00pm each day at the veterinary college’s Teaching and Learning Center located at 2407 River Drive, Knoxville. Topics will include K9 Tactical Combat Casualty Care (K9TCCC), CPR, wound management and bandaging, IV catheter placement and fluid resuscitation, environmental injuries, toxicology for working dogs, and GDV (bloat). Participants will be able to practice various techniques on models. The cost will be $25.
Conference Presenter MAJ Emrick Whitfield is an Army veterinarian completing her Emergency and Critical Care residency at the University of Tennessee. Since completing her veterinary degree in 2019, she has spent her career working with dog teams in training and deployed environments. While in Kuwait, she experienced how first aid rendered by a trained K9 handler or medic improved outcomes for our 4-legged service members. Since then, continues to train human healthcare providers, dog handlers, and new veterinary graduates in first-aid response for the working dog. She is excited to bring this training to East Tennessee.
Emrick Whitfield, DVM, CPT, VC, MAJ
Space is limited to 75 participants and the workshop is only available to K9 handlers and first responders. Participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the conference. Registration will open by the end of March and will close on Monday, May 18. However, please note the space is limited and registration will likely close sooner once our maximum seating capacity is reached.
The workshop is provided in memory of Crossville Police Department’s K9 Officer Kain, whose watch ended on August 2, 2017, in the line of duty.
