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Bovine emergency response training to be offered Oct. 5 in Luverne

By
Lori Sorenson

When a livestock carrier is involved in an accident, cattle and pigs are often among the victims — and they can also cause additional crashes if they wander from the scene.
Emergency responders are trained to help humans at a crash scene, and there’s often confusion about how to handle the affected livestock.
A Bovine Emergency Response Plan and Training in Luverne Wednesday, Oct. 5, will offer tips and tools for law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel, public safety officials and veterinarians.
Rock County Sheriff Evan Verbrugge said one of his deputies will attend the training.
“We are seeing more and more animal transportation on our roads and we have dealt with these types of crashes in the past,” Verbrugge said.
“It is always good for us to train and get a better perspective on how to treat and deal with animals when they are stressed.”
Sponsored by the Minnesota Beef Council, the training will address transportation hazards, euthanizing injured animals, safe animal handling, familiarity with livestock trailers and more.
The curriculum is approved for eight hours of continuing education credits by law enforcement, EMS, emergency management and veterinarians.
Veterinarian Erin deKoning of the Rock Veterinary Clinic, Luverne, said she’s glad to see the training offered locally.
“I don’t think people know about it,” she said about livestock emergencies on the road.
“I think we’re grossly underprepared for how we would handle something like that, if a cattle truck were to tip over in the middle of the road.”
Luverne’s training is at the Pizza Ranch on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Similar trainings are set for Rochester Oct. 4 and Staples Oct. 6.

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