Latest news with #Dade County Sheriff's Office
CBS News
7 days ago
- CBS News
Georgia police dog dies after being left in hot patrol car for "unacceptable amount of time," sheriff's office says
A newly-deputized police dog died Sunday in Georgia, after her handler left her alone in a hot car for "an unacceptable amount of time," said the sheriff's office where the K-9 provided her services. Named K-9 Georgia, the dog died in the kennel inside of her handler's patrol vehicle as the heat index rose to about 100 or 102 degrees in Trenton, a city in the northwestern corner of Georgia, according to the Dade County Sheriff's Office. The handler had gone into the office building when Georgia was left unattended in the patrol car. The sheriff's office said it fired the dog's handler, who was not identified, and the incident would be turned over to the Dade County District Attorney's Office to determine if charges would be filed. "On July 13th, we tragically lost our newest member of our K-9 team; K-9 Georgia," the office wrote Tuesday in a news release, adding that "a combination" of factors caused the dog's death. The sheriff's office investigated the incident and determined the air conditioning system in the handler's patrol car malfunctioned while Georgia was inside, to the extent that fixing it required "total replacement of the compressor." A compressor is the core piece of an air conditioning unit that allows it to emit cool air. A heat alarm inside the patrol car also malfunctioned, the office said. The alarm is a safety mechanism designed to monitor the temperature in the car and, when it gets too hot, activate its sirens or send notifications to the cell phone of a K-9 dog's handler, according to the National Police Dog Foundation, which notes on its website that "heat exhaustion is a major cause of death for active K-9s." In June 2023, another police dog in Cobb County, Georgia, near Atlanta, died after being left inside its handler's hot car without a functioning air conditioning system. The sheriff's office said the broken temperature systems, "coupled with K-9 Georgia being left unattended for what we considered to be an unacceptable amount of time" inside her handler's car, contributed to the dog's death. It plans to implement new policies for handlers, which will include prohibiting them from leaving dogs in their cars unsupervised "for extended periods of time" during the summer. The Dade County District Attorney's Office is determining whether to prosecute the case. "Our hearts are aching at the loss of K-9 Georgia," the sheriff's office said. "Many of you know that she was donated to us by a local family, at no cost to the sheriff's office. She was an amazing bloodhound who was sweet, goofy, and had all the potential to be the 'best of the best'. She will be deeply missed by everyone at our office, and by anyone who had the pleasure to meet her."
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Deputy fired after police dog dies in hot patrol car
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. A Georgia sheriff's deputy has been fired after a beloved police dog died in a hot patrol car. It was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Trenton when a member of the Dade County Sheriff's Office's K-9 team died inside the patrol car on Sunday, police said in a press release. The dog, whose name was Georgia, was left unattended in her handler's patrol car for an 'unacceptable amount of time,' the sheriff's office said. The deputy was inside the sheriff's office when Georgia was dying in the car. Police did not specify for how long the K-9 was left inside the patrol car. But other factors led to Georgia's death, such as the air conditioner compressor in the car malfunctioning. There was a heat alarm in the car, but police said it also 'was not functioning.' A Georgia sheriff's deputy has been fired after a beloved police dog died in a hot patrol car (Dade County Sheriff's Office) There have been 55 reports of dogs and other 'companion animals' dying from heat-related causes this year, according to PETA. The animal rights group's numbers appear not to have included Georgia's death. Georgia's handler was fired, and police said they will notify the Dade County District Attorney's Office 'to determine if prosecution is warranted.' The sheriff's office promised '100%' transparency about Georgia's death and listed changes they will be implementing to make sure no other dog is lost on their watch. 'Going forward, any K-9 vehicle we have will be taken out of service if ANY of the essential K-9 equipment isn't in 100% working order,' the sheriff's office said. 'We are also going to overhaul our K-9 handler policy, and K-9's WILL NOT be left in vehicles for extended periods of time during summer.' Georgia was donated to police by a local family, and the sheriff's office said, 'Our hearts are aching at the loss.' 'She was an amazing bloodhound who was sweet, goofy, and had all the potential to be the 'best of the best,' the sheriff's office said. 'She will be deeply missed by everyone at our office, and by anyone who had the pleasure to meet her.' Georgia resident Kaylee Shields called for '#justiceforgeorgia' in a Facebook post Tuesday. 'If a citizen left their dog in a vehicle and it 'malfunctioned,' resulting in death of the dog, the owner would be prosecuted. I hope this officer is held accountable for this,' Shields wrote. Children are also at risk of dying in cars during the summer heat. The National Safety Council said there have been 15 reported heatstroke deaths of children in cars this year. There were 39 deaths in 2024.
