+34
Patrol dog’s handler resigned after it emerged Bart had died of heatstroke due to severe dehydration in nearly 101F heat
Photograph: Madison County Sheriff via FacebookPhotograph: Madison County Sheriff via FacebookPatrol dog’s handler resigned after it emerged Bart had died of heatstroke due to severe dehydration in nearly 101F heatsheriff’s office dog after being left in an outdoor kennel without water for a day and a half in excessive heat has prompted the animal’s handler to resign amid administrative and criminal investigations, according to authorities.
Bart had been a patrol dog specializing in suspect apprehension, tracking, searches and drug detection before his handler found him dead inside his outdoor kennel on 19 September, Julian Wiser, the Madison county sheriff, said in a social mediaA veterinary necropsy of the two-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd found that he had died of heatstroke due to severe dehydration, with investigators learning Bart’s handler at the Madison sheriff’s office had not been home for about 36 hours while temperatures climbed to 101F and water was inaccessible to the canine. In his video addressing the case, Wiser called Bart’s death “unfortunate and preventable”, and the sheriff also described himself as a former canine unit supervisor.
“This is … very sad and unfortunate,” Wiser said in the video on Friday. “We depend on our canines to help keep our community safe and our law enforcement officers, but our canines depend on us to take care of them. ” Bart’s handler was neither immediately identified by Wiser’s office nor formally charged with a crime. Wiser said the deputy resigned after being placed on administrative leave.
The sheriff added that his office had also served search warrants in connection with simultaneous internal and criminal investigations into Bart’s death. Wiser said resulting findings would be forwarded to prosecutors.in the Police Practice and Research Journal found heatstroke to be the second-leading cause of death for police dogs in the line of duty, behind only gunfire.
“Being left unattended and mechanical failures overwhelmingly characterized these heatstroke deaths,” said an abstract of the survey, which studied information on more than 400 canine deaths listed on the Officer Down Memorial Page website. According to the survey’s abstract, “Summer months were also significantly implicated in increasing the odds of line-of-duty heatstroke deaths. ”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Queensland Woman Escapes Prison After Murder Charge Dismissed in Husband's Assisted Death CaseKylie Ellina Truswell-Mobbs received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assisting the suicide of her terminally ill husband with MND, following a compassionate act deemed necessary due to delays in voluntary assisted dying legislation.
Read more »
Brain injury death of inmate in police cell triggers inquestOfficers failed to check on unconscious John Makai for four hours, and an ambulance was not called until after severe brain damage occurred.
Read more »
Parents testify in inquest into newborn's death after 'dismissed' C-section requestThe parents of Alby Spreadborough have given evidence at an inquest into his death, alleging doctors dismissed their request for a caesarean section, leading to a tragic outcome for their newborn son.
Read more »
Victoria Police Apologise Over Death of Injured Man Held in Cells Without Medical TreatmentVictoria Police have apologised to the family of John Makai, who died in 2023 after spending five hours in a Broadmeadows police cell with an untreated head injury. An inquest heard that officers failed to complete a medical checklist, observe his deteriorating condition, conduct a risk assessment and perform adequate checks. Police said it remains unclear whether these failures would have prevented his death.
Read more »