By Joanna Putman
Police1
BOONE COUNTY, Iowa — A deputy has pleaded guilty to animal neglect following the death of his K-9 partner, KCCI reported.
Dallas Wingate was initially charged with a felony charge of killing a police dog after leaving K-9 Bear in a patrol vehicle for 22 hours in September 2022. That charge was dropped, according to the report.
Wingate, who has been with the K-9 program for about 15 years, resigned from the department following the incident, the Des Moines Register reported.
Wingate’s plea deal will likely result in an 18-month probation and an $855 fine, according to the report.
“I am grateful that there was an outcome to this and that there is justice for that K-9 dying,” Boone County Sheriff Andy Godzicki told KCCI.
K-9 Bear has a memorial inside the sheriff’s office, according to the report. Godzicki says it will always be a reminder of his service.