By Kate Feldman
New York Daily News
COCOA, Fla. — A 2-year-old patrol dog was found dead in the back of the police car Wednesday afternoon, according to the “heartbroken” Cocoa Police Department.
The pup, Zena, was left in the back of the car while her handler was taking a training class at the Criminal Justice Center at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, police said.
When he went outside to check on her, she was already dead.
Investigators are working to determine a cause of death and whether the handler followed department procedures.
Zena, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, was donated to the city in August and certified for patrol work in April.
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