Woof!

Have you ever had an emergency with your pet, and felt awful because you didn’t know what to do?   It can be very scary.  So when I heard about the Pet First Aid and CPR class at the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service headquarters, I signed up immediately.

Betty Bernstein teaches CPR on a dummy dog.

The class was the brainchild of Betty Bernstein, a GEMS instructor at both the American Heart Association and the American Safety and Health Institute.  Because she had at one time boarded kittens,  she understood the importance of first aid and CPR for animals.  Wanting to teach a class that would cover pet first aid and CPR,  she found one written by the American Safety and Health Institute.  It included text books and a video.

Charlee Tufts, the GEMS director, felt it would be even better if they teamed with another non-profit organization. Immediately they thought of  Adopt-A-Dog, Greenwich’s private animal shelter.  Allyson Halm, Adopt-A-Dog’s president and former Greenwich Animal Control officer, agreed at once.  Their goal is to teach a class once a month at the GEMS headquarters in Greenwich. In addition they offer to do a class if 4 or more people can get together, such as organizations, dog walkers/sitters, boy and girl scouts, clubs etc.

Allyson Halm, the president of Adopt-A-Dog, right and Betty Bernstein, instructor, at GEMS teaching Pet First Aid and CPR.

“Young kids who do both pet and children sitting  should definitely know about this class,”  said Halm, “especially if the people who own the animal are away.”  During her time at  the Greenwich Animal Control, she said,  they had many unfortunate calls that the sitter had lost the pet.

Kate Uhry, a dog walker from Old Greenwich, practices CPR with a dummy dog .

The class, taught by Bernstein and Halm, covers such subjects as CPR, choking, bleeding control, approaching an ill or injured animal, rescue breathing,  injury to muscles and bones, soft tissue injuries, burns, eye injuries, medical emergencies, such as poisoning, electric shock, environmental emergencies such as animal bites, porcupine quills, skunk encounters and others, and common pet illnesses or conditions.  And that is just the beginning. There is plenty of hands on experience: 2 dummy animals to work on and a video which is very informative.

Ellie Gerli, a dog walker from Old Greenwich, practicing the "Heimlich" maneuver at the Pet First Aid and CPR.

The Pet First Aid and CPR class is 2 hours long.  It is held at the GEMS headquarters, 1111East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich CT.  The next dates are Sunday January 10th, 2010, or Sunday February 6th, 2010, or Sunday March 7, 2010, all from 1:00-3:00pm. To enroll in one of the classes or for more information,  go to the Adopt-A-Dog website. Or call GEMS at 203-637-7505, ext 1074.

“Whether it is a human or a pet, it gets blurred while you are going  though an emergency”, said Halm. ” If you have this information in your head, it can help you get through it, and get the best for your pet. You will know what to do even before you get to the vet.  And that may save his life.”

Kate Uhry practices CPR through the noes with a sterile plastic cloth.