Current Events > 2 police dogs die from heat-related injuries after air conditioning malfunctions

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/2-police-dogs-die-heat-202713553.html

Three communities are mourning the recent deaths of dogs that have died in hot cars, including two police canines in Texas and Georgia. For years, safety advocates have sounded the alarm about the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, even for just a few minutes. And now, pet safety inside cars is gaining attention after several recent animal deaths. On Monday, a Houston Police Department K-9 called Aron died from heat exhaustion when he was left in a running, air-conditioned patrol vehicle and the engine suddenly shut down, according to the department. When Aron's handler, a police officer, returned to the vehicle, he found 4-year-old Aron in distress and immediately transported him to an emergency veterinarian clinic. He died there a short time later. Monday's high temperature in Houston was 95 degrees Fahrenheit, according to AccuWeather data.

Houston police K-9 vehicles "are equipped with a system that notifies the handler, sounds the horn, activates cooling fans and rolls down the car windows if for some reason the vehicle shuts down," the department said. But "this did not happen in this instance." The department is investigating what went wrong to prevent it from happening again. Investigators are starting by having all specially outfitted K-9 vehicles inspected by an outside company "to ensure the warning systems are working properly." Aron had been with the Houston police force for nearly two years. "Please keep Aron's handler and the entire K-9 team in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Aron," a police department statement said. Two other incidents involving dogs in hot cars have been reported, including a police dog named Chase that died of "heat-related injuries" on June 5 in Cobb County, Georgia, when the air-conditioning system malfunctioned in a police vehicle, according to county police. K-9 Chase, a police dog in Cobb County, Georgia, died of heat-related injuries after being left too long inside of a patrol car after its air conditioning system failed. Similar to the Houston Police Department, Cobb County police cars use the same temperature alert technology to notify officers when it gets too hot inside. "If the air conditioning system fails and the temperature reaches a point where it's too hot, the safeguard automatically turns on the lights and the sirens, the windows automatically go down, and a fan turns on" and the handler is notified and returns to their vehicle, Cobb County police said.