A New York sheriff's K-9 died of heat exhaustion last after alarms inside a cruiser failed to go off.

Leonidas, a K-9 with the Schenectady County Sheriff's Office, had died Thursday while he was in a deputy's vehicle, WTEN-TV reports. The sheriff's office said the vehicle's heat-monitoring system and alarms designed to alert deputies of temperature or climate-control issues malfunctioned.

"Leonidas was not just a working dog; he was a protector, a dedicated public servant, and a beloved member of our law enforcement family," Sheriff Dominic Dagostino said in a statement. "Our immediate focus is on supporting Deputy [Daniel] Coppola [Leonidas' handler] during this incredibly difficult time, while ensuring a thorough investigation into the mechanical and technological failures that led to this tragedy."

Leonidas had been with the sheriff's office for eight years.