Trenton Police Dog Dies After Being Left in Overheated Patrol Car

Image via Sherriff's

A police dog, newly deputized to the force, has tragically died after being left in a hot patrol car. The sickening and heartbreaking incident happened last Sunday in Trenton, Georgia.

A K-9 named Georgia died after her handler left her in the patrol car. They determined they left the dog in the car for "an unacceptable amount of time." According to a statement from the Dade County Sheriff's Department, they confirmed the death of the police dog. They also confirmed they fired the police dog handler.

"Our hearts are aching at the loss of K-9 Georgia," authorities said. "Many of you know that she was donated to us by a local family, at no cost to the sheriff's office."

They also explained that the car's air conditioner compression and heat alarm in the patrol car weren't working.

They explained, "The Sheriff's Office immediately launched an investigation into the incident. What we found was that the air conditioner compressor on the patrol unit malfunctioned while K-9 Georgia's Handler was inside the Sheriff's Office, requiring total replacement of the compressor. The patrol vehicle was also equipped with a heat alarm that was not functioning. Those previous two factors, coupled with K-9 Georgia being left unattended for what we considered to be an unacceptable amount of time, contributed to her passing."

Following the death of the police dog, the organization also confirmed they wouldn't let another incident happen like this again.

They said, "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. 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. At the direction of Sheriff Cross, K-9 Georgia's handler is no longer an employee of Dade County Sheriff's Office, and this entire incident will be turned over to the Dade County District Attorney's Office to determine if prosecution is warranted in this particular case."

Additionally, an investigation is ongoing, and it will be determined if a criminal prosecution will move forward after the death of the police dog.

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