(CNN) — Houston police are investigating the death of a 4-year-old police dog who suffered heat exhaustion Monday after being left in an air-conditioned car when the engine died unexpectedly, police said.
Houston Police Department vehicles are equipped with a system that notifies the driver, activates cooling fans and rolls down windows in the event a vehicle stalls, police said. However, “this did not happen in this case,” the Houston Police Department said in a statement. a statement.
When the handler returned to the vehicle, he found the K-9, as canine patrols are known, in distress. The animal was taken to a clinic but eventually died from the heat, according to the statement.
“Please pray for Aron’s handler and the entire K-9 team as they mourn the loss of Aron,” police said, adding that Aron had worked in the department for about a year and a half.
“The handler dropped Aron off in a working air-conditioned patrol vehicle, which is a necessary and common practice when the K-9 partner is not actively involved in police work,” the statement said. “All HPD vehicles transporting K-9s will be promptly inspected by the vendor to ensure systems are working properly.”
The National Weather Service in Houston has been warning residents about heat index values this week that can reach 42.2 degrees Celsius. On Monday, the city experienced a high temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, according to CNN Weather.
When temperatures are 32 degrees Celsius, the interior of a car can reach 42 degrees Celsius in just 10 minutes, say some experts. Dogs don’t sweat and need to cool off mainly by panting, according to animal rights group PETA, and they can quickly die of heat stroke even if the car is parked in the shade with the windows slightly open.
