# Another police dog dies....



## whisperwill (Jul 20, 2011)

Is it just me or are there alot of stories like this out here recently??

Police dog dies from heat exhaustion - ActionNewsJax.com - Action News Jacksonville - Jacksonville News, Weather, Sports and Entertainment - Florida News, Georgia News, Jacksonville Jaguars - WTEV CBS47, WAWS FOX30, MyTVJax


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## Bikecafe (Jun 11, 2011)

It is sad when you see things like this. This is not a bash on the handler but it seems like maybe he should not be a K9 handler if he cannot tell that the dog has heat distress, a dog that he should know very well.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

So sad. RIP Trooper


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Here's a video about two other police dogs in Florida who suffered heat exhaustion, but were saved by the quick action of their handlers:






I would not have guessed from watching those dogs that they were so close to the danger point.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Amazing dogs...and excellent handler/partners.....PERFECT examples of Teams.
God Bless them!


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

Left in his kennel, in his HOME, for 1 hour?
How does that happen? Guy live in a greenhouse?


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## KSdogowner (Jun 22, 2011)

robinhuerta said:


> Amazing dogs...and excellent handler/partners.....PERFECT examples of Teams.
> God Bless them!


Hear, hear. Very impressive!!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

dazedtrucker said:


> Left in his kennel, in his HOME, for 1 hour?
> How does that happen? Guy live in a greenhouse?


I'm guessing the damage was already done by then. Did you watch the video I posted? Either of those dogs might have died if their handlers hadn't recognized the danger they were in and just took them home and kenneled them. They needed immediate medical care to bring their temperatures down and save their lives.

I always watch my dogs carefully in really hot weather, but they'll usually take a break on their own if they need to. These are working dogs, and the handlers said they would have continued searching if not stopped.


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

Oh, sorry...yes, I just watched it after I posted that...understandable if the dog had been working like that.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Dazed, I had the same thought as you at first - how could that possibly happen?!?!? But then I saw the video that I posted, (Halo's breeder posted on Facebook today, which is where I found it), and I don't think I'd have any idea how close to the edge they were if my dogs looked like that. Time for a break, yes, for sure. But needing immediate medical intervention to prevent death? Maybe not. Kinda scary!


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

Sometimes it is a thin line. The heat some parts of the country are having is record breaking. I have a drug dog class in session. It's been brutal. We carry a large ice chest each day and each handler carries 2.5 gallons of water. I watch the dogs very close. We practice hot-watering and I don't allow the dogs to be fed until 2 full hours after training. Over-heating can happen very suddenly. I don't know how it happened. I'm fairly certain the handler never thought it would happen. I doubt that was the first time his dog had been left in a kennel. Tough loss.

DFrost


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Debbie, Thank you for posting that vid. Quite a lesson for us all to learn.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Wow great thinking on those officer's parts and so very sad for the frist handler


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

I can't imagine how horrible one would feel being the handler of a dog and realizing they were suffering from heat exhaustion! The guilt would eat me alive. Lucky those two K9's had handler's that were paying attention and took swift action! Sad for the K9 that lost his life 

We have not had near any kind of truly hot weather this year, but I definitely watch my dogs closely when we do. Tomorrow we are going to training as usual, and I already have plans to get ice on the way, have their water jug ready to fill with fresh cold water before leaving, and am taking a sun shade canopy for us to sit under and it is only going to be about 80-85 here. I also filled up their pool today so when they get home they can jump in to cool off better.


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## duttlyn (Mar 30, 2011)

Wow! I would not have known that those dogs were so close to death had their handlers not intervened! The timing of this thread is impeccable for me, too. I live in SW Florida and not only is it blazing hot but it's muggy as all get out. 

Yesterday morning after Berghoff's run he didn't want to eat breakfast and I wasn't sure why... didn't think much of it. He ate dinner fine. Today, after his run, he also didn't want to eat breakfast and I started to worry. This afternoon we walked around the outdoor mall and tonight he didn't want to eat dinner either! Freaking, I started researching and finally figured out that he was getting overheated and he wasn't eating because he feels like crap in the heat! Once he finally cooled down sufficiently, he wanted to eat his food. Then I came here and saw this thread! My God, I feel really bad! I guess I just didn't realize that if I'm hot, he has got to be waaaay hotter with all that black fur. I'm a guilty mom.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I do not know that the officer and the dog's work that was actually recorded was the actual situation, or maybe a reenactment. I mean, do they have someone carrying a video camera on every track? They would not have known that this one was the track that would cause heat exhaustion. So I wonder if it was re-enacted for our benefit. 

He knew his dog was off, and he responded and saved the dog's life -- that is great. The other handler did as well, good. It is unfortunate that the one dog died. But I am not sure if I would just put the dog in a crate in the AC if he seemed hot and out of sorts due to the weather. Unless the dog was showing serious heat-related issues, I guess by then, the dog is dead.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

selzer said:


> I do not know that the officer and the dog's work that was actually recorded was the actual situation, or maybe a reenactment. I mean, do they have someone carrying a video camera on every track? They would not have known that this one was the track that would cause heat exhaustion. So I wonder if it was re-enacted for our benefit.


It sounds like one or two reporters from the Orlando Sentinal were with them that day. The scenes from the vets looked pretty real.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I agree that the vet scene was probably the real thing, though they could reenact that as well. I mean it is a lot easier to have a camera in there when you know what the outcome will be. I just thought maybe the track itself was either reenacted. 

If my dog was maybe dying, no way would I be letting anyone photograph that, get in the way of the vets and techs, etc.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

I think it may have been the "real deal"......dogs are not actors...and they WERE breathing extremely heavily (you could hear and see the resps) AND the one police officer was pounding sweat ALL OVER his face, head and neck. (especially at the vet's office, when talking about the situation).
I went back to watch the video again....that's when I took notice.


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