A Clay County Sheriff's Office K-9 named Luca was rushed into a helicopter and flown to Knoxville on Tuesday after he was exposed to concentrated ozone and went into respiratory distress. The six-year-old Belgian Malinois was first stabilized at Big Bear Veterinary Clinic in Hayesville, North Carolina, then transported to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for advanced care.
How The Airlift Unfolded
According to WVLT, Luca's handler found the dog vomiting and struggling to breathe, then drove him to Big Bear Veterinary Clinic, where staff worked to stabilize and sedate him. Big Bear Veterinary Clinic handled the initial emergency care before Erlanger LIFE FORCE Air Medical stepped in to fly Luca by helicopter to Knoxville.
The University of Tennessee Police Department said in a Facebook post that UTPD officers and Knoxville Fire Department crews helped guide the helicopter to a landing zone off Cherokee Farm Way so Luca's handler and veterinary staff could move him quickly into the hospital.
Training And The K-9 Transport Program
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine has been working with LIFE FORCE on drills to make flights like this possible, with practice runs designed to shave critical minutes off transport time. In a statement on the vet school's site, Emergency and Critical Care Director Leslie Wereszczak said, "There’s a concept in trauma medicine called the 'golden hour,'" and UTCVM noted that dry runs and joint training helped staff and flight crews rehearse landings, stretcher loading and in-flight care.
UTCVM described the exercise as part of an effort launched after a line-of-duty K-9 death in 2017, with the goal of making sure future emergencies move a lot faster.
Why This Matters For K-9 Units
LIFE FORCE's K-9 program says helicopters now carry specialized veterinary gear, including muzzles, oxygen masks and chest-tube kits, and the agency says it is the first EMS program in Tennessee authorized to transport critically ill or injured working dogs.
UTCVM and LIFE FORCE Air Medical say the capability gives handlers a faster route to tertiary veterinary care, increasing the odds that a severely injured dog can survive.
Officials said Luca was taken to UTCVM for advanced treatment, a milestone that partners said will reshape how badly injured K-9s are rescued across the region. The University of Tennessee Police Department's Facebook post showing the landing off Cherokee Farm Way highlights the quick, multi-agency response that made the high-stakes flight possible.
