Westside Animal Hospital Donates K-9 Medical Kits to Richmond County Sheriff's Office

The kits will help K-9 handlers stabilize their dogs in the field in emergency situations.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 11:36pm

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Westside Animal Hospital has donated medical kits to every K-9 unit in the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, giving handlers the tools to stabilize their dogs in the field. The kits include supplies such as peroxide, gauze, and Narcan to protect dogs from exposure to toxic fumes or airborne narcotics. The hospital also provided training on how to use the kits.

Why it matters

K-9 units face risks of drug exposure, particularly from fentanyl, while on the job. The donated kits will help bridge the gap when emergency veterinary care is limited, especially after regular business hours.

The details

Each kit is packed in a small backpack and includes supplies to stabilize a dog in an emergency, such as peroxide, gauze, and Narcan. The kits are intended to protect K-9s from exposure to toxic fumes or airborne narcotics. Westside Animal Hospital provided training to the K-9 handlers on how to use the kits.

  • Westside Animal Hospital donated the 10 kits in March 2026.

The players

Westside Animal Hospital

A veterinary clinic that donated medical kits to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office to help protect their K-9 units.

Richmond County Sheriff's Office

A law enforcement agency in Augusta, Georgia that received the donated K-9 medical kits from Westside Animal Hospital.

Deputy Joseph Hawkins

A K-9 handler with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office who said the kits give him the tools he needs to stabilize his dog in critical moments.

Deputy William McClure

A K-9 handler with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office who said drug exposure, particularly fentanyl, is the biggest threat to K-9s on the job.

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What they’re saying

“They just now recently gave all the canine units med kits. They also taught the class on how to use the med kits. It's just a great tool to have that pretty much has everything that I need to either stabilize or save his life.”

— Deputy Joseph Hawkins, K-9 handler

“If we're out on like drug warrants, search warrants, things like that, with the dog for some reason ingest certain drugs especially today, with the fentanyl being so big, that's the biggest worry. I mean, any drug is a concern if they ingest it.”

— Deputy William McClure, K-9 handler

What’s next

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office plans to continue training its K-9 handlers on how to properly use the donated medical kits in emergency situations.

The takeaway

The donation of these specialized K-9 medical kits from Westside Animal Hospital will help the Richmond County Sheriff's Office better protect its canine units from the risks they face, particularly drug exposure, while on the job.