(DADE COUNTY, Ga.) — A Georgia sheriff’s deputy has been fired after a police dog died in their hot car, according to the Dade County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement shared on Tuesday, officials in Trenton said they “tragically lost our newest member of our K-9 team,” a bloodhound named Georgia.
The deputy responsible for Georgia allegedly left her alone in a patrol car on Sunday, with the heat index rising to around 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, officials said.
While the deputy was inside the sheriff’s office, the car’s air conditioning compressor malfunctioned and the heat alarm in the vehicle “was not functioning,” officials said.
“Those two factors, coupled with K-9 Georgia being left unattended for what we considered to be an unacceptable amount of time, contributed to her passing,” officials said.
The sheriff’s office said the deputy who left Georgia alone in the sweltering car is “no longer an employee of Dade County Sheriff’s Office.”
Moving forward, officials said any K-9 vehicle will be taken out of service “if ANY of the essential K-9 equipment isn’t in 100% working order” and that police dogs will “not be left in vehicles for extended periods of time during the summer.”
The incident will be handed over to the Dade County District Attorney’s Office, who will determine if the deputy should face charges, the sheriff’s office said.
Officials said their “hearts are aching at the loss” of Georgia — who was donated to the sheriff’s department by a local family.
“She was an amazing bloodhound who was sweet, goofy and had all the potential to be the ‘best of the best.’ She will be deeply missed by everyone at our office, and by anyone who had the pleasure to meet her,” the sheriff’s office said.
It remains unclear how long Georgia was left alone in the car.
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