A Missouri police officer has been charged in the June death of his K-9 partner.
Lt. Daniel Zeigler of the Savannah, Missouri, Police Department — a town of about 5,000 in the far northwest part of the state, about 60 miles north of Kansas City — was charged Friday with one count of animal abuse in the death of a German shepherd named Horus, KTVI reported.
According to the report, the dog died of heat exposure after Zeigler left it in his police vehicle after his overnight shift ended at 5 a.m on June 20.
“One witness described seeing the deceased K-9 officer in the yard near the police vehicle that evening and described Zeigler ‘flipping out’ and yelling in disbelief that he thought he had brought the K-9 in at the end of his shift,” the station reported, citing court documents.
“The nearest weather reporting location, at Kansas City International Airport, reported a high of 88 degrees at 5:53 p.m. on June 20,” KTVI reported.
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The interior of a closed car can reach 115 degrees in such conditions, according to My Dog Is Cool.
The charges were filed by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, according to KCTV.
The station cited a probable cause report saying Zeigler’s vehicle was equipped with an AceK9 system with safety features designed to kick in when the car’s interior reached 90 degrees.
It would have honked the car horn, rolled down the windows and activated a fan.
“Investigators said they believe someone turned off the car’s safety feature,” according to KCTV.
Department investigators did a functionality test on Zeigler’s vehicle, parking it in direct sunlight and turning off the ignition, USA Today reported. The safety device performed properly.
It was the second death of a K-9 officer from the Savannah Police Department, according to USA Today. In 2001, K-9 Lyda accidentally hanged herself when she was left on a leash inside her kennel.
Horus joined the department in 2021 as a two-year-old, the Kansas City Star reported.
KTVI reported that a recent state law increased penalties for injuring or killing animals in law enforcement, which could result in Zeigler facing a Class D felony charge.
Such a charge could bring a prison sentence of up to seven years or a fine of up to $10,000.
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