Police Dog Found Dead in Off-Duty Cop’s Car

Tragic news out of California this week as a K9 officer died in a hot car. The vehicle belongs to his handler and according to Fox 8, was a department-issued K-9 vehicle.

The 6-year-old K9, Ozzy's, death was reported immediately by the handler to the Long Beach Police Department. An investigation is ongoing surrounding the incident.

LBPD public information officer Arantxa Chavarria told the Los Angeles Times:

A veterinarian examination of Ozzy and the preliminary results determined the cause of death to be heat-related. Our K-9 vehicles are outfitted with fail-safe equipment that is meant to generate an alert. At this time, we believe this alert may not have been working.

In California, it is illegal to leave an animal in a vehicle unattended and it is legal to break into a vehicle if you believe an animal is suffering. According to the LA Times, it only takes 15-minutes for an animal to suffer brain damage in these conditions.

The newspaper reports that Ozzy has assisted several agencies,"...including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives."

Sources: Fox 8, Los Angeles Times