It may be September but we're still having issues with pets dying after being left in the car. We know this was a terrible accident. This 8-year-old German Shepherd passed away after being left in the car as the entire system shut off and turned off the car. The air conditioning was left on while the dog was in the car and the officer ran into the Vicksburg, Mississippi Police Department.
The facts are also posted in the below Facebook post but here's a quick summary if you want to stop reading here.
According to the Vicksburg Police Department, 'Thor' the police K9 was found in "distress" after the patrol car he was in, which was parked at the police department, apparently malfunctioned and shut off.
"Thor was immediately transported to the veterinarian for treatment, but he later passed away. He was an 8-year-old German Shepherd and had been with the Vicksburg Police Department since 2012. He was breed trained in criminal apprehension and cross-trained in narcotics detection. Thor is credited with over sixty felony arrests, apprehensions, and many drug arrests."
The Dogington Post covered this story and they have a few statistics we wanted to share.
"Despite increased public awareness and the passing of laws across the country that make leaving animals in parked cars illegal, family pets and K-9 officers continue to die in hot cars every single year. Between 2011 and 2015, 46 police dogs died while locked in their patrol cars."
We also cover heatstroke in many stories and it can happen to all of us and our pets. This was a tragic accident. The Dogington post also confirms that heatstroke results in more deaths of K9 officers than gunshots, stabbings, and auto accidents.
When it comes to heatstroke, here an interesting fact about dogs.
According to Pet MD, dogs cool down in very different ways than humans do. Dogs sweat a little bit through the pads of their feet, but they mostly cool down by panting. As a dog pants, he moves air through his body, which helps to draw heat out and cool him down.
Heat-related deaths in dogs are reported almost weekly during the summer months. It can be from a hot patrol car, police car or your car. The high temperatures are very dangerous and deadly. We know these K-9 officers are family members and we're so sad to hear that 'Thor' passed away. This is a gentle reminder that even a car parked and left on can result in a tragic death with one malfunction. When a K-9 dies it's a huge loss to the family, police department, police officers, and of course the K-9 handler. We're very sorry for their loss.
RIP Thor.
Have you ever had to save a dog having issues with heatstroke? Please leave us a comment below.
WATCH NOW: 10 of the Smartest Dog Breeds
