TWO POLICE DOGS DIE IN CAR

I live in Bexar county and this has been in the papers here too.  According to the latest reports and investigation, the officer came home and immediately noticed one of his horses was hung up in a barbed wire fence.  He jumped out of his car to attend to the horse.  Apparently, he completely forgot that the two dogs were still in his vehicle. He then went out of town without realizing he had never gotten the dogs out.  He is reportedly completely grief stricken and I have no doubt he would do anything to change what happened..  He has been on the force for over 20 years and a K9 officer for almost thirteen years.

One of the saddest and most tragic facts of this story is that the county had sensors that might have saved these dogs but the county department responsible for installing them hadn't done so because they reportedly didn't know how.  I don't know if that is factual or not.  These type sensors may or may not have made a difference for this situation but they should be in all vehicles that routinely transport dogs for K9 officers.

I know that there are people who will condemn this man for what happened.  He may be fired and he probably will no longer be a K9 officer.  There is a criminal investigation ongoing.  He will never forgive himself for what he did and for the suffering he put these dogs through and their death. He's not a monster in my opinion.  K9 officers are extremely bonded to their dogs and the dogs are a part of their families.

I liken this to the horrible cases where parents accidentally leave their children in the back seats and forget them.  Most of these cases happen when the parent or guardian is distracted for some reason.  A different schedule or some other occurence that changes the normal routine can cause a person to completely forget something they normally would never forget.  We are all guilty of forgetting things we normally do by rote when we're distracted, stressed or interruped by some other pressing situation. 

I know that the first week after I found out Twister had cancer, I was in a mental fog.  I was going to vet appointments and would catch myself wondering if I had taken Gabby home first or left her at the office.  Yes, I did remember to check the vehicle but I can also see how a tragedy like this could happen.  If it happened to me there is no punishment that society could deliver that would equal the punishment I would inflict on myself with the guilt and remorse.

 Anyway, that's how I feel about the situation.  I'ts very very tragic that these dogs died and I hope it sends a message to everyone who transports animals or children to be super vigilant to those helpless to free themselves from a hot vehicle.

Well said, Jackie.

Deb W.

A police dog died in car down in this area a few years ago.  The guy had gone home for lunchy and according to him, had left the dog in the car with AC running and i don't remember if the ac stopped or the engine died or just what happened.  That dog was only the car less than an hour if i remember correctly.  but it gets terribily hot in behicles in this texas sun.

I still just do not understand how a person could forget a dog or child in a car.  i may forget to take out a piece of trash upon arriving home, but i never forgot i had a child or dog with me.

These incidents are tragic accidents.  I recently read a very good (though also tragic) article on people who have left kids in a car.  Everyone insists it will never happen to *them*, and yet it happens again and again.  The article examined all the recent cases and concluded that there is no pattern as far as male/female, age, type of job, socio-economic status.  It's one of those things that just happens.  It happens over and over and do you think those people said "oh yeah that *could* happen to me"?  No, everyone says "oh that would NEVER happen to me" and still it happens every summer.

What bothers me more than these accidents is when dogs or kids die because people intentionally leave them locked up in a vehicle assuming the AC is enough.  IMO, if it's too hot to have a dog or child in a vehicle with the windows down, vehicle in the shade, and proper ventilation then its just.too.hot!  I never ever ever rely on my AC because in every vehicle I've ever used it either hasn't worked at all or has gone in and out or just died. I can't understand shutting all the windows and doors and walking away from a vehicle with a child or dog inside.....

As tragic as this is, I don't think there is a person among us who has not had one of those split-second distractions that caused us to do something completely out of character, whether it's losing a kid in the store, running a red light, or even forgetting a pet or child in the car. Fortunately for many, we escape unscathed (albeit a bit nerve-wracked). Sometimes, though, tragedy prevails and we beat ourselves up for the rest of our lives thinking "if only...." That's why these sorts of incidents are called accidents.

May the dogs rest in peace.

Yes, well said Jackie. As you know, I'd posted about the guy who left the dog in the car while doing paperwork inside and the dog died. In that case, I think it was truly neglectful and not forgetful and he should suffer some consequence. In the case you're talking about, it does sound like the glitch in this guy's routine threw everything off. It's heartbreaking but I completely agree that he will suffer dearly just from his own guilt. I can't begin to imagine his grief.

Liesje

What bothers me more than these accidents is when dogs or kids die because people intentionally leave them locked up in a vehicle assuming the AC is enough.  IMO, if it's too hot to have a dog or child in a vehicle with the windows down, vehicle in the shade, and proper ventilation then its just.too.hot!  I never ever ever rely on my AC because in every vehicle I've ever used it either hasn't worked at all or has gone in and out or just died. I can't understand shutting all the windows and doors and walking away from a vehicle with a child or dog inside.....

I agree.  I read about a case a few years back of an officer who was taking an all day course and left his dog in his patrol car with a/c on and engine running.  The car ran out of gas and the dog died. :(  That was a case of neglect as he wasn't supposed to have the dog in the vehicle for that extended length of time.

There is also the very real possibility of someone stealing the car with the keys in and engine running.  A friend who used to work for a company that used drug dogs to search schools told the horrifying story of how her boss left his drug dog in the back of his Suburban to run into a convenience store for two minutes, with the car running and a/c on for the dog.  Someone stole the vehicle.  They found the vehicle three days later, abandoned in a motel parking lot after someone reported a bad odor from the car.  Until she told me this story I was occasionally guilty of leaving my dogs in my vehicle, with it running, if I was going inside somewhere for "just a minute".  I have a keypad entry on vehicle (that one and the new one) and felt it was safe.  After hearing about that incidient I never leave them in the car for even a minute.

It's easy to say that could never happen to me but I'm not perfect and neither are most people. 

Jackie summed it up.  I can understand being distracted, especially by an immediate emergency of your horse caught in barbed wire.  But then I think to myself  "Was he planning on feeding the dogs that night?  That would have prompted me to remember the dogs were not where I expected them to be."  The second question is - if he was going out of town overnight, was someone going to let the dogs out or feed them the next day before he returned?  He may have been putting them in an outdoor kennel and wouldn't need "outs", but food & water, IF he was truly out of town overnight.

I'm not trying to Monday Morning Quarterback, and it's a tragedy and I'm sure nobody feels worse about it than he does.  Harming your animal due to your own fault is a terrible burden of guilt.  (Forget about those of us who don't have pets, but rather working partners in whom you've dedicated a piece of your life and lifestyle for training.)  I'm just wondering how those two pieces (dinner that night, food the next morning) didn't trigger him or someone else discovering the dogs sooner.

miranadobe

Jackie summed it up.  I can understand being distracted, especially by an immediate emergency of your horse caught in barbed wire.  But then I think to myself  "Was he planning on feeding the dogs that night?  That would have prompted me to remember the dogs were not where I expected them to be."  The second question is - if he was going out of town overnight, was someone going to let the dogs out or feed them the next day before he returned?  He may have been putting them in an outdoor kennel and wouldn't need "outs", but food & water, IF he was truly out of town overnight.

I'm not trying to Monday Morning Quarterback, and it's a tragedy and I'm sure nobody feels worse about it than he does.  Harming your animal due to your own fault is a terrible burden of guilt.  (Forget about those of us who don't have pets, but rather working partners in whom you've dedicated a piece of your life and lifestyle for training.)  I'm just wondering how those two pieces (dinner that night, food the next morning) didn't trigger him or someone else discovering the dogs sooner.

 

 

 

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/07/4700463/no-sensors-in-suv-where-2-texas.html#storylink=cpy

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