Cache County K-9 dies after being left in unattended patrol vehicle

CACHE COUNTY – The County Attorney’s Office is looking into whether or not a K-9 handler will face formal charges after the dog was left in an unattended patrol vehicle, and later died from heat exhaustion.

A statement from the Cache County Sheriff’s Office says Endy’s handler did not follow protocols, leading to Endy’s death.  That officer was put on leave without pay, then reassigned.

Endy is being remembered by the Cache County Sheriff’s office as a “a beloved member of our organization and our community.”  Endy was sold to the sheriff’s office by the Logan Police Department, which issued a statement saying, “We are saddened and mourn the loss of K-9 Endy, along with our friends, colleagues and the community.”

(Photo Credit: Logan City Police Department)

The Cache County statement also says their trucks are equipped with safety mechanisms for their dogs if the vehicle is left running.  However, for people who don’t have these safety devices, animal advocates say there’s no safe way to leave an animal alone in a car.  Humane Society of Utah Communications Director Deann Shepherd says a lot of people make the mistake of leaving their dog in the car with the AC running, but, she says that’s not always a safe option.

“Some cars have an engine that if there’s no airflow over the air conditioning unit, then it will no longer blow cool air.”  She also says dogs have been known to move about in a car’s interior, possibly touching the buttons that would change the AC.

She maintains that even in the shade, the car has a greenhouse effect which traps the hot air inside.  Plus, it’s not the high temperatures that could kill an animal, but also the rapid change in temperature.

Shepherd says, “It’s within that first ten minutes that the temperature is changing so rapidly,” which leads to a lot of animals dying in cars.