SCHENECTADY COUNTY, N.Y. — A K-9 with the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office died from heat exhaustion.
K-9 Leonidas, a German shepherd who served with the agency for eight years, died on July 2, WRGB reports.
A preliminary investigation found that the alarm system in the K-9 vehicle, which is designed to alert officers to vehicle or climate-control malfunctions, did not go off, the sheriff’s office said.
“The loss of K-9 Leonidas is felt deeply across our entire department and the Schenectady community,” Sheriff Dominic Dagostino said in a statement. “Leonidas was not just a working dog; he was a protector, a dedicated public servant and a beloved member of our law enforcement family.”
Dagostino said the department is focused on supporting K-9 Leonidas’ handler, Deputy Daniel Coppola, while investigators review the mechanical and technological failures that led to Leonidas’ death.
Additional information will be released as it becomes available, officials said.
