Guest Anonymous Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 There is quite a bit of controversy going on with this one. The police are saying the "hot dog" unit malfunctioned. Then they stated it was fixed before city officials could take a look. Most, including myself, think the officer didnt turn on the "hot dog" unit OR the air conditioning. The officer was away from the car for an hour. The officer, as of now, is not facing animal cruelty charges or charges of any manner. :cry: Kansas City Star -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Wed, Jul. 23, 2003 A fatal trap The death of an Independence police dog is a reminder of how quickly summer heat can kill in a closed car. A patrol car's cooling system malfunctioned last week, killing a law enforcement dog named Hondo. Independence police said they had been contacted by people angry about Hondo's death but stressed that it was an accident. The police vehicle's "hot dog" system was supposed to roll down a window and sound an alert if the air conditioning went off in the idling car. The system apparently failed. Other area police also use the "hot dog" alert system. They should reassess the practice of leaving police dogs unattended in their vehicles. As many car owners can attest, on the hottest days, things can go wrong. This is a sad reminder to pet owners: Never take a chance by leaving an animal in a car on a hot day. A "fail-safe" system can fail. An errand can take longer than you think. And a vehicle can turn quickly into a furnace, meaning death for animals unable to get out. END This is a sad reminder to pet owners: Never take a chance by leaving an animal in a car on a hot day. Maybe they should start reminding law enforcement officers as well. And oh how quickly Hondo was replaced... Kansas City Star -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Wed, Jul. 23, 2003 Independence police to introduce new Canine Unit replacement today By LINDA MAN The Kansas City Star Independence police have found a replacement for Hondo, the German shepherd who died last week after being found in an overheated patrol car. Officials will introduce Daro Zo Ziaru, a 26-month-old German shepherd from the Czech Republic, at the police Canine Unit today. Police investigators may never learn the exact circumstances that led to Hondo's death. Hondo's handler, Sgt. John Bullard, left the 28-month-old German shepherd in an air-conditioned police car for about an hour at the Canine Unit. The car's air-conditioning and backup "hot-dog" system malfunctioned. The hot-dog system rolls down the windows, turns on a fan and blares an alarm when temperatures inside the vehicle get too high. Police said the hot-dog system in Bullard's vehicle did none of that. After Bullard found Hondo unconscious, he attempted to rush the dog to an animal hospital, but his patrol car collided with another vehicle. After the wreck, the cables to the battery were cut to prevent a potential fire. When the cables were reattached, the battery reset the hot-dog system and wiped out previous electronic information, police spokesman Bill Pross said. The hot-dog system in the wrecked car worked after the battery was reattached, Pross said. Police said they would consider other manufacturers of hot-dog systems for their K-9 vehicles. Pross said that because all police dogs were alpha dogs, they were typically left in patrol vehicles when the handler had other work to do inside the Canine Unit building. Alpha dogs are dominant, and a roomful of alpha dogs could lead to trouble and chaos, especially if the handler must move from room to room, Pross said. Bullard said Tuesday that his new dog had two brown patches over the eyes, like a mask, and brown feet, like little boots. "We're having a little communication problem, because I don't speak Czech," Bullard said. "But we will change the commands to German." Although Daro knows basic obedience and tracking, it will take 14 to 16 weeks to get him street-ready, Bullard said. "We're starting to bond a little bit," Bullard said. "I'm taking him out for walks, and no one feeds him but me." Police will showcase Daro at 10 a.m. today at the Canine Unit, Missouri 78 and Powell Road. Quote
Angelboddy Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 That is so sad. :( Poor pup. :cry: Rest in peace sweet Hondo. :angel: Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.