There are plenty of stories that illustrate the important role war dogs play in assisting the military. Many soldiers consider these canines partners and credit them with saving lives.

The military employs doctors and veterinarians, but if anything happens in action, paramedics are the first ones to respond and often have to give treatment at the scene. These people receive elite training for humans, but have to wing it when it comes to the canines.

There are many similarities in treating humans and canines, for instance you can use the same stitches to sew wounds. However, there are also many differences. The standard procedure of applying a tourniquet to a human can do more harm on a dog.

With military canines playing important roles in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for animal care skills has become critical . There are about 2,700 dogs serving in the armed forces.

Recently Lt. Col. Stephen Rush organized a training to teach Air National Guard rescuers to treat dogs in combat settings. The session was developed in partnership with Long Island Veterinary Specialists and K-9 Medic, a company that teaches emergency medical care for service dogs. Colonel Rush hopes that the two-day training could serve as a model for future courses.

War dogs are navigating the same dangerous situations as their human counterparts, so it's about time that paramedics receive training to ensure their safety. Kudos to Col. Stephen Rush for creating the course and I hope that other areas of the military will add it to their training protocol.