Arizona K-9 left in hot patrol car is put to sleep

[Anubis_Star]

Heartbreaking, but I too don't think this officer was negligent. It's a horrible thing that could happen to anyone, especially with a dog that is calm in a back seat, use to riding in a car.

My heart aches for the poor man, he lost his partner, and even though an accident it is "his fault", and I can't imagine how that weighs on his conscience.

[Mrs.K]

One thing I always preach is, make sure there is water in the crate and roll down the windows completely, even open the hatch.
Whenever I go to the PX and I have the dogs with me, I leave the hatch and windows open and not just a few inches, they are completely rolled down and the dogs have plenty of water.

[selzer]

I don't think you can do that with a police dog. If some stupid kid came and put his hand in there, it would be a lawsuit. If some thug wanted to injure or kill the dog, it would be a sitting duck. And frankly, there are idiots out there that think it is funny to get the dog to bark. On a hot day, a dog could become overheated by freaking out at a stupid person teasing and interfering with him.

People don't think a lot of times about the consequences of their actions. Yes, a criminal complaint could be filed against such an individual, but that wouldn't bring the dog back. There is a lot more liability in leaving a trained dog with access to the public than a pet dog. And the K9 units really function on donations in some areas -- in our village. So the good will of the people is a big deal. Letting a dog die in a hot car doesn't go over well here, but leaving a dog in a car proper containment, I think is going to have a worse impact on public good will.

[Anubis_Star]

Originally Posted by Waffle Iron

I just can never see myself doing this. My girl is my exactly that, my girl. She's a family member and you don't leave family members in hot cars. When she travels with me, I'm never away from the car very long if she's left in it; and when she is, it's always running with the A/C on - simple as that.

I would like to think I would never leave Zeke in the car, because I am so aware that he is there. However, I take him to work with me every day, and there has been more then one morning where I've been driving home after a 12 hour graveyard shift, I've gone 2-3 miles down the highway, and I've suddenly remembered that I have a dog sitting back at work that would probably like to go home too.