It's
a matter of life or death...
 Agility
is all about speed. Dogs race around the course, handlers sprint alongside them,
judges watch every obstacle and spectators cheer from the sidelines. But whilst
we quite rightly concentrate on the safety and welfare of the dogs, there is
another important consideration that can sometimes be overlooked - the
people. Chris Butcher, Managing Director of Severnside Defibs, says a
defibrillator could be a life-saver.
At any dog agility show there may
be hundreds of competitors, judges, stewards, volunteers, spectators and other
members of the public. Many will spend an entire day at the venue, sometimes a
whole weekend and quite often travelling considerable distances to attend. This
can also be filtered down to a smaller club training session on a weekday
evening! And, unfortunately, medical
emergencies don't stop because we're at a dog show.
A
sudden cardiac
arrest can happen to anyone
It can
happen without warning, including to people who appear fit and healthy.
When someone suffers a cardiac
arrest, every minute matters. CPR is essential, but CPR alone is not enough in
many cases. If the person's heart is in a shockable rhythm, the most effective
treatment is to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
The defibrillator analyses the
person's heart rhythm and, if appropriate, delivers a controlled electrical
shock to attempt to restore a normal rhythm.
The important thing is that
now
you don't need to be medically trained to use one. Modern AEDs provide clear spoken
and visual instructions, analyse the patient's heart rhythm themselves and will
only allow the rescuer to deliver a shock when one is required - The biggest
challenge is often simply getting the defibrillator to the patient quickly
enough.
That's why having one at an
event itself can be so important.
 This isn't
just a theoretical risk
Every year approximately 115,00
out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are reported in the UK. Early CPR and
defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival. The chance of
survival with just CPR alone is approximately 10-15%, However, introduce a
defibrillator, certainly within five minutes of cardiac arrest, then the chance
of survival can increase to up to 70%.
In 2017, a cardiac arrest occurred at the Blackpool
Championship Dog Show. In response, The Kennel Club purchased a defibrillator
which was subsequently made available at all-breed Championship Shows via the
Dorwest stand. Staff were also trained so that the equipment could be used
quickly if another emergency occurred.
This is a powerful example of something that
could easily occur at an agility event. A medical emergency could happen anytime
during a show from the preparation to the running.
The importance of defibrillators
has, therefore, already been recognised within the wider dog-show community.
Minutes really do matter
Agility shows may take
place at agricultural and country showgrounds, sports centres, equestrian venues,
large indoor arenas, outdoor fields and/or temporary event sites.
Some venues may already have a
defibrillator, but the important question is how far away is it from the
ring?
A defibrillator further than five
minutes away may be considerably less useful than one that can be brought
directly to the casualty within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest. For
every minute after a cardiac arrest has occurred, there is a 10% decrease in
chance of survival.
When someone suffers a cardiac
arrest, the priority is simple, Call 999. Start CPR. Get a defibrillator.
As far as legal
implications are concerned, you cannot be sued for using a defibrillator. UK
guidance recognises that people who attempt to save a life are very unlikely to
face legal action when providing emergency first aid. Laws like the Social
Action, Responsibility and Heroism (SARAH) Act protect people who step in to
help others during a crisis.
 A
defibrillator isn't an unnecessary expense
It's part of being prepared. Nobody expects a competitor,
judge or spectator to suffer a cardiac arrest at their show. That's exactly why
emergency planning is so important. We don't have fire extinguishers
because we expect the venue to catch fire. We don't have first aid kits
because we expect somebody to be injured. And we shouldn't wait for a
cardiac arrest to happen before asking 'Where's
the defibrillator?'
When show and club organisers
consider whether they should invest in a defibrillator at their next event, the
question shouldn't be 'What if we buy one and never use it?' It should be 'What if we need
one and don't have it?' When it comes to cardiac arrest,
every second counts.
Having a defibrillator at your
agility agility show could help save the life of a competitor, judge, volunteer,
spectator or member of the public.
And hopefully, just like the fire
extinguisher and first aid kit, it will spend its entire life sitting there
unused.
But if it is ever needed, you'll
be very glad it was there.
 Author
credit...
Chris Butcher has been in the
defibrillator industry for 14 years, and has supplied thousands of
defibrillators to communities, businesses and clubs across the UK. He also a
medical responder so he's literally been there and done it when it comes to
defibrillators.
Defibrillator enquiries can be
emailed to
chris@severnsidedefibs.com
www.severnsidedefibs.com)
First published
5th
September 2026
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