By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
HOUSTON — A 4-year-old Houston Police Department K-9 died Monday from heat exhaustion after the air conditioning in a cruiser malfunctioned, police said in a statement.
K-9 Aron, who had a year and a half of service, was left in the air conditioned vehicle, which police said is necessary and common practice when the K-9 is not actively involved in police work.
When Aron’s handler returned to the vehicle, it was discovered the engine had shut off and the K-9 was in distress. Aron was taken to an emergency veterinarian, where he died from heat exhaustion, police said.
Police noted that the cruisers are equipped with a system that notifies the handler, sounds the horn, activates a cooling fan and rolls down the vehicle’s windows if the vehicle shuts down for any reason. In this case, none of that happened.
The malfunctioning of the vehicle is under investigation and all Houston Police Department vehicles that transport K-9s will be immediately inspected.
“Please keep Aron’s handler and the entire K-9 team in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Aron,” police said.
A week before Aron’s death, a K-9 with the Cobb County Polie Department in Georgia died in a hot cruiser. The cruiser’s air conditioning also malfunctioned.