Ga. K-9 Dies after Dog Left in Deputy's Cruiser with Faulty Air Conditioner

A Georgia sheriff’s deputy was fired this week after a police dog was left in a hot car for too long and died.

The Dade County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that a K-9 officer, a bloodhound named Georgia, was allegedly left in a closed patrol car with a malfunctioning air conditioner on Sunday while the heat index was over 100 degrees. Meanwhile, her handler was inside the sheriff’s office in Trenton for an undisclosed amount of time and the vehicle’s heat alarm didn’t go off.

“Those 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,” officials said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy in question has been fired, though they didn’t release their name. The office said it has changed its policies so that, going forward, any K-9 vehicle that isn’t in working order will be taken out of service. Their K-9 handler policies will also be overhauled so police dogs will “not be left in vehicles for extended periods of time during the summer.”