07-03-2009, 11:11 AM
Police dog handler facing prosecution over deaths of two German ShepherdsA police dog handler is facing prosecution after two German Shepherds died in the back of a hot patrol car in Nottinghamshire.
By Nick Britten
Published: 2:35PM BST 02 Jul 2009
The dogs were left unattended in the car, which the officer parked outside the Nottinghamshire force's headquarters while he went inside.
He returned to find them both dead. Experts said it was so hot - temperatures reached 86F (30C) - they would have died within 30 minutes.
It emerged that the dog handler was on duty at the time and the dogs were left in his private car, parked in the main staff car park outside the headquarters.
The deaths were immediately referred to the RSPCA and the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Under the Animal Welfare Act, the officer responsible could be jailed for six months or fined £20,000.
As animal welfare charities re-iterated the dangers of leaving pets in cars during the hot weather, a police source said the deaths had sent shockwaves around the force.
He said the officer was experienced and had been left devastated by what happened.
"What distracted him or why he did it only he will know but these dogs are well loved and well respected," he said.
"It is causing a major furore around the entire force, while the dog handling department will be traumatised.
"These dogs are well loved and well respected. For them to die like this just unbelievable, especially as we have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in state-of-the-art kennels which would have kept them cool and which were a few yards away from where they died."
Nottinghamshire police has 26 dogs and it is believed that one of the ones which died was about to be retired, while the other was around a year old and being trained.
A force spokesman said the officer had not been suspended and refused to say how long the animals had been left in the car.
The dogs were found at 2.15pm as temperatures outside the building in Arnold, Notts, reached 29.3 degrees Centigrade, the hottest day in the area for three years. The headquarters was inundated with calls from the public about the incident.
The spokesman said: "The welfare of all animals owned by Nottinghamshire Police is of paramount importance and we endeavour to take every measure possible to ensure their well-being and safety."
An area has been dedicated outside the main door of the building for people to leave flowers.
Chf Supt Ak Khan, head of the force's Operational Support, who said: ⿿This has caused immense upset to all concerned.
We in the force are all very shocked. We are taking this incident very, very seriously.
This has had an immense impact on the dog section.They work as a very close knit team so this has been a tremendous blow to them.
The IPCC said it would not be investigating and referred the matter back to Nottinghamshire.
The RSPCA will take the decision whether a prosecution is necessary.
Peter Davies, Nottinghamshire's Assistant Chief Constable, said: "This is a tragic incident and we value the important work our police dogs carry out on a daily basis.
"That is why we swiftly reported this incident to the RSPCA and we will be working with them very closely."
John Clarke, Chairman of Nottinghamshire Police Authority, said the force prided itself on its animal welfare, for which it had won national awards.
He said: "This is a truly tragic incident. These police dogs play such a vital role in the fight against crime.
"The authority has asked to be provided at the appropriate time with a full report into the circumstances.
"In the meantime we are requiring a guarantee from the force that measures are being put in place immediately to ensure that an incident like this can never happen again."
Andrew Wilson, a Nottingham vet, said: "Dehydration would have been a big factor.
"The dogs wouldn't be able to cool themselves because panting wouldn't be effective any more, there would be no evaporation from the tongue.
"As the core temperature rose as a result of that, and the brain temperature rose, the brain would cease to function and various other organs would fail.
"This happens certainly within 30 minutes".
The RSPCA said it was investigating and said throughout June it received 1,058 calls from people worried about dog welfare in the heat.
Its chief veterinary adviser, Mark Evans, said:" Many owners believe that leaving a car window open or a bowl of water nearby is enough, but in reality this will make virtually no difference and the dog is
still in serious danger of literally being cooked alive."
A spokesman for The Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, warned about the dangers of leaving animals in cars and said it can take only 20 minutes for a dog to die and for temperatures reach over 40 degrees in some vehicles."
In emergencies, dogs should be soaked with water, fanned with cool air and rushed to a vet.
Last year the force made a public appeal for German Shepherds to be donated to boost the number of its working dogs.
By Nick Britten
Published: 2:35PM BST 02 Jul 2009
The dogs were left unattended in the car, which the officer parked outside the Nottinghamshire force's headquarters while he went inside.
He returned to find them both dead. Experts said it was so hot - temperatures reached 86F (30C) - they would have died within 30 minutes.
It emerged that the dog handler was on duty at the time and the dogs were left in his private car, parked in the main staff car park outside the headquarters.
The deaths were immediately referred to the RSPCA and the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Under the Animal Welfare Act, the officer responsible could be jailed for six months or fined £20,000.
As animal welfare charities re-iterated the dangers of leaving pets in cars during the hot weather, a police source said the deaths had sent shockwaves around the force.
He said the officer was experienced and had been left devastated by what happened.
"What distracted him or why he did it only he will know but these dogs are well loved and well respected," he said.
"It is causing a major furore around the entire force, while the dog handling department will be traumatised.
"These dogs are well loved and well respected. For them to die like this just unbelievable, especially as we have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in state-of-the-art kennels which would have kept them cool and which were a few yards away from where they died."
Nottinghamshire police has 26 dogs and it is believed that one of the ones which died was about to be retired, while the other was around a year old and being trained.
A force spokesman said the officer had not been suspended and refused to say how long the animals had been left in the car.
The dogs were found at 2.15pm as temperatures outside the building in Arnold, Notts, reached 29.3 degrees Centigrade, the hottest day in the area for three years. The headquarters was inundated with calls from the public about the incident.
The spokesman said: "The welfare of all animals owned by Nottinghamshire Police is of paramount importance and we endeavour to take every measure possible to ensure their well-being and safety."
An area has been dedicated outside the main door of the building for people to leave flowers.
Chf Supt Ak Khan, head of the force's Operational Support, who said: ⿿This has caused immense upset to all concerned.
We in the force are all very shocked. We are taking this incident very, very seriously.
This has had an immense impact on the dog section.They work as a very close knit team so this has been a tremendous blow to them.
The IPCC said it would not be investigating and referred the matter back to Nottinghamshire.
The RSPCA will take the decision whether a prosecution is necessary.
Peter Davies, Nottinghamshire's Assistant Chief Constable, said: "This is a tragic incident and we value the important work our police dogs carry out on a daily basis.
"That is why we swiftly reported this incident to the RSPCA and we will be working with them very closely."
John Clarke, Chairman of Nottinghamshire Police Authority, said the force prided itself on its animal welfare, for which it had won national awards.
He said: "This is a truly tragic incident. These police dogs play such a vital role in the fight against crime.
"The authority has asked to be provided at the appropriate time with a full report into the circumstances.
"In the meantime we are requiring a guarantee from the force that measures are being put in place immediately to ensure that an incident like this can never happen again."
Andrew Wilson, a Nottingham vet, said: "Dehydration would have been a big factor.
"The dogs wouldn't be able to cool themselves because panting wouldn't be effective any more, there would be no evaporation from the tongue.
"As the core temperature rose as a result of that, and the brain temperature rose, the brain would cease to function and various other organs would fail.
"This happens certainly within 30 minutes".
The RSPCA said it was investigating and said throughout June it received 1,058 calls from people worried about dog welfare in the heat.
Its chief veterinary adviser, Mark Evans, said:" Many owners believe that leaving a car window open or a bowl of water nearby is enough, but in reality this will make virtually no difference and the dog is
still in serious danger of literally being cooked alive."
A spokesman for The Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, warned about the dangers of leaving animals in cars and said it can take only 20 minutes for a dog to die and for temperatures reach over 40 degrees in some vehicles."
In emergencies, dogs should be soaked with water, fanned with cool air and rushed to a vet.
Last year the force made a public appeal for German Shepherds to be donated to boost the number of its working dogs.
I would stop eating chocolate.. but I'm not a quitter!
:B
:B
