First K-9 airlift exposes rural emergency gaps

A medical emergency involving a sheriff’s K-9 in far western North Carolina is prompting renewed scrutiny of both public safety practices and the state’s limited infrastructure for transporting injured working dogs to advanced care.

K-9 Luca, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, was airlifted to Tennessee after suffering acute respiratory distress linked to ozone exposure inside a shared law enforcement building. The April 21 incident has since drawn attention not only for the life-saving response, but also for what officials describe as a broader policy gap affecting rural agencies.

According to Sheriff Mark Buchanan, Luca was crated inside a conference room when an ozone-generating machine—an air purifier commonly used to remove odors—was inadvertently activated.

“I’ve been told there are folks on social media assigning blame to Luca’s K-9 handler, Clay County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division Investigator Steven Smith,” Buchanan said. “This ozone machine was situated in a large conference room where Luca happened to be resting in his crate. This building and conference room is used by multiple officers from various agencies. Investigator Smith did not turn on this machine and had no idea it had been turned on.”

Smith discovered Luca in distress and immediately transported him to a local veterinary clinic, where emergency stabilization began before a decision was made to request air transport.

The dog was then flown by Erlanger Life Force Air Medical to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, reducing what would have been more than two hours of ground travel time.

The flight marked the first known real-world use of Life Force’s K-9 Transport Program, an initiative developed in Tennessee to provide specialized air medical support for working dogs.

In a statement to Carolina Journal, Smith outlined both the logistical challenges faced in rural North Carolina and the significance of Luca’s case.

“It’s not necessarily that air transport for K9s is limited, it’s more so that it just has not yet been put into place. With our location, the closest major trauma center for animals is over 2 hours away. In order to be put into effect, the program not only has to be approved by the North Carolina EMS board but also the NC Veterinary Board. In very rural areas such as where we live, it is literally the difference in life or death for our K9 partners in a critical event,” he said in a Facebook message. “This program was started in Tennessee with Life Force. Life Force being based out of Tennessee obviously launched the program in their home state to test its effectiveness prior to attempting to expand to the rest of their coverage areas. Fortunately, we are located so close to the Tennessee line that an exception was made in our situation, allowing Luca and I to be transported to Knoxville for treatment. Luca being the first actual patient transported, placed us in an amazing position to be able to advocate for the expansion of this program.”

Luca’s transport was completed at no cost to Clay County, according to Buchanan, and officials say the rapid coordination between local responders and the Tennessee-based flight team likely prevented a fatal outcome.

The incident has also drawn attention to ozone-generating devices, which are widely available and commonly used in homes, vehicles, and government facilities. Public health officials have warned for years that such machines can produce harmful concentrations of ozone, particularly in enclosed environments.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has issued advisories cautioning that ozone-generating air cleaners may exceed safe exposure levels and offer limited effectiveness in improving indoor air quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency similarly warns that ozone exposure can irritate the respiratory system and pose health risks to both humans and animals.

Buchanan said the dangers were not widely understood within his department prior to the incident. “I, like almost everyone I’ve talked to, had absolutely no idea that a simple ozone machine… could be harmful to animals and people,” he said, noting that he had never encountered training on the issue in more than four decades of law enforcement service.

State-level warnings about ozone-generating devices were issued as recently as 2023, raising questions about whether sufficient awareness or safeguards are in place when such equipment is used in shared public buildings.

Officials say it remains unclear who activated the machine or how long it had been running before Luca was exposed.

“It is my hope that this unfortunate accident and the attention it has drawn will be used to educate folks as to the dangers of ozone machines,” Buchanan said.

Luca was listed in stable but serious condition upon arrival and was released from care on April 23. He has returned to work, Smith shared on social media.

Beyond the immediate circumstances, the case is fueling discussion about whether North Carolina should develop a formal K-9 emergency transport system, particularly for rural counties where access to advanced veterinary care is limited.

While recent legislation has expanded the ability of emergency personnel to provide field treatment to injured police dogs, the state does not currently operate a standardized system for rapid transport to specialized facilities.

By contrast, Tennessee’s model integrates K-9 transport into an existing air medical framework, offering a structured approach that can be deployed quickly in critical situations.

For agencies like Clay County, where geography can mean the difference between minutes and hours, the absence of such a system remains a pressing concern.

Smith said Luca’s case may help drive change. “It has not yet been put into place,” he said. “But this shows why it should be.”

“First K-9 airlift exposes rural emergency gaps” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.