Mo. city fires police officer charged with animal abuse in K-9 partner’s death

According to court documents, a witness heard the officer say he thought he brought K-9 Horus in after his shift

September 11, 2024 02:50 PM

Mo. K-9 dies after being left in hot car — The investigation into the incident is ongoing, but Horus’ death is currently considered an accident, according to the report. Vincent mentioned that the Savannah Police Department, which is currently down to three officers, considered Horus their fourth officer.

By Kendrick Calfee
The Kansas City Star

SAVANNAH, Mo. — A Missouri city voted to fire a police officer who has been charged with animal abuse in the death of his K-9 partner.

Trending

Mich. launches first-of-its-kind air transport service for injured police K-9s.jpg

K-9

Mich. air medical program launches 24/7 flights for injured police K-9s

North Flight Aero Med’s 24/7 service is meant to shorten the trip to advanced care for K-9s injured in remote areas, where local clinics may not be able to handle critical cases

October 23, 2026 09:40 AM

Bill Carey

The Police1 Beat

Can drones help police stop school shooters? Police1 readers debate the risks and benefits

After a Florida high school introduced drones designed to confront active shooters, commenters weighed the benefits of tactical intelligence against concerns about remote operators, training and student safety

October 23, 2026 08:33 AM

Sarah Roebuck

Police Academy

Mass. State Police drop drill instructor title, add medical training in reforms to academy following recruit death

Massachusetts State Police announced a slate of reforms following internal and external reviews of training and criminal charging of several instructors in the 2024 death of Enrique Delgado Garcia

October 23, 2026 12:10 PM

Joanna Putman

Body Camera

BWC: Fla. man in overturned vehicle asks deputies for cigarette following pursuit

A PIT maneuver by Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped the fleeing suspect and left his truck on its side; they later found “trafficking amounts” of cocaine inside

October 23, 2026 12:34 PM

Joanna Putman

Savannah, Missouri’s Board of Alderman voted in a closed session meeting Monday to terminate Lt. Daniel Zeigler, the city announced on social media.

Zeigler and his K-9 Horus had completed their overnight shift at 4:49 a.m. on June 20, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Andrew County Circuit Court. At 5:54 p.m., Zeigler contacted police chief Dave Vincent and said Horus was dead.

Vincent found Horus had been left in the police vehicle all day and died of heat exposure, the affidavit said.

Horus joined the Savannah Police Department in 2021 when he was almost 2 years old, police said. Savannah is about 45 minutes north of Kansas City.

Investigators tested the functionality of an AceK9 system on Zeigler’s vehicle June 26, which found that the system safeguard was fully functional the day Horus died, court records said.

When tested, the AceK9 safeguard system inside the vehicle repeatedly honked, rolled down the rear windows and activated a fan when the internal temperature of the vehicle reached 90 degrees. This proved the system was working and had to have been manually deactivated to bypass the safeguard, court documents said.

The Kansas City International Airport reported a high of 88 degrees at 3:53 p.m. on June 20, 2024, the probable cause statement said.

According to court documents, a witness heard Zeigler say he thought he brought Horus in after his shift. Another witness who helped bury the K-9 said they heard Zeigler tell Vincent Horus’ death was his fault.

Horus’ death captured the attention of the Savannah community and region as people began to ask for justice for Horus.

Zeigler faces one count of animal abuse, a class A misdemeanor. He is due to appear in court at 1 p.m. Oct. 8 in Division 5 of Andrew County Circuit Court.

The Star’s Noelle Alvis-Gransee contributed.

—

K-9 Legal Officer Misconduct / Internal Affairs