RetrieverTraining.Net - the RTF banner

New Orleans Police Dog

2K views 17 replies 15 participants last post by  Brad B 
#1 ·
Poor dog - Should shut up his handler in a locked car for 6 hours and see how he would fair. www.nola.com "Heat Killed Dog Left In Car"
 
#3 ·
That said, common sense was clearly lacking. 6 hours is an awfully long time not to check on your partner in a closed vehicle. It's beyond sad that the dog tried to escape his situation and suffered needlessly. While I feel for the handler-I feel more so for the dog.

M
 
#4 ·
I am shocked at how often this happens with police dogs.
 
#6 ·
I've been following this story most of the day.

I think the officer forgot the dog was in his patrol vehicle. We have had near record high temps for weeks and this is a clear case of, "I forgot about the dog".

We have had adults forget they had infants in baby cars seats in the backs seats and had the children die of heat stress.

Pure stupid!
 
#12 ·
I had to ship a pup out of New Orleans today and it was all over the talk radio stations. They did state that the Officr asked for a transfer out of the K-9 Division. They also said he was on duty at the airport.

Having lost 3 dogs this year, one to heart worms another fell down an abandoned elevator shaft while training and now this one. Seems like a little retraining of the handlers is necessary.
 
#10 ·
Years ago a MA police dog was left in the cruiser with the AC on while the officer attended court. The cruiser was running (to keep the AC going). This is normal practice for MA from what I am told. However, the AC unit failed and the dog died. The officer ran out of court ever 15 or 20 minutes to check the dog. But as we know it doesn't take long when it's hot.

What I don't get is with all the nice dog boxes out there how come they have not purchased one? Why haven't dog boxes cought on with the law?

Pattie
 
#11 ·
...

What I don't get is with all the nice dog boxes out there how come they have not purchased one? Why haven't dog boxes cought on with the law?

Pattie
It seems like this happens three, four, or more times a year.

I never knew what a dog box was until all this crazy retriever stuff... could it be that police forces just aren't educated? Is that possible?
 
#13 ·
This happens pretty often. Common practive across the U.S. to leave K9's in running cars with the air going. If the car overheats and dies so does the air. There are devices that easily prevent this but alot of places cannot afford it.....or don't see it as a high enough priority to purchase. Nashville K9 cars have a fan mounted in the rear window. If the temp in the car rises the windows roll down, the fan cuts on, and the horn starts honking like an alarm but these are pricey devices. The dog boxes are probably a money issue too. Not so much the box but the truck to haul it. The box would need to be somehow sealed to keep fingers out of it. Can you amagine the liability if some kid's fingers got eaten! LOL Hate to hear about police dogs getting hurt. They do a dangerous job and think it's fun!
 
#15 ·
I believe the article says that if the officer was in the wrong reprimand would follow.. Now certain people have remarked that the officer has asked to be taken out of the K-9 division and is working in the airport. I know from experience how attached officers get to there "partners". Ask yourself how you would feel if you were immediately blamed for the "undetermined" death of your partner be it human or k-9.

I m not advocating lack of awareness on behalf of a handler im just saying that i think we should not jump to conclusions and start bashing those who risk everything for your safety and most importantly there K-9 AND HUMAN PARTNERS........
 
#16 ·
"New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley today said police dog Primo, who died of apparent heat shock in late May, should have been kept cool by a system in the K-9 unit vehicle where he was left unattended for an undisclosed period of time before being rushed to a veterinarian's office.

"We are not sure what the cause of his death was. It is under investigation," Riley said at an afternoon news conference at police headquarters.
If Officer Jason Lewis, the dog's handler, left the animal in the car without these protective systems turned on, "he certainly would be facing charges," Riley said. "The early indications are the systems in the car were on and the systems were working."
Riley said it is his understanding that Primo was left in the SUV with the air conditioning running. Plus, if the vehicle is turned on, there is an emergency system that rolls down the windows and turns on the ventilation system if the internal temperature in the vehicle rises above 86 degrees, Riley said.
Dr. Gary Levy, the veterinarian contracted to care for the New Orleans Police Department's dogs, noted that Primo's autopsy showed his temperature was 109.8 degrees when brought to a clinic.
"This is consistent with heat stress, heat stroke," Levy said at the news conference. "However, that can happen independently of being in an overheated vehicle. You can have a dog in a 70 degree room and through a seizure or other anxiety level attacks can generate that level of body heat."
Primo did not have a history of seizure or anxiety disorders, Levy said.

The Metropolitan Crime Commission obtained a copy of the necropsy report referenced by Levy, which was done by the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. While the report did not rule out any medical cause for Primo's death, it concluded that the most likely cause of death was "shock due to heat stress."

The MCC, which asked the Orleans Parish district attorney's office to investigate the dog's death, also released photographs of the inside of the car, which showed Primo shredded the front seats down to the metal frames before he was taken to the veterinarian clinic. Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Crime Commission, said the photographs show the level of distress experienced by the dog.

Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro has said he is investigating whether there was any criminal negligence associated with Primo's death. The NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau is also conducting an investigation.

Goyeneche said the investigation needs to focus on a number of still unclear issues, such as ensuring that Lewis is not the only source for the assertion that the air conditioning was turned on when Primo was left in the car. "It is imperative that somebody other than the officer corroborate that air conditioning and everything was operating at maximum efficiency when that dog was in the car," he said.

He also noted that the necropsy report did not show that Primo, a Belgian Malinois described as being either 6 or 7 years old, had any other medical conditions, such as a brain tumor, that would lead the dog to have seizures for a reason other than heat stroke. "

So according to this- it looks like they did have the special device mentioned above.
Very sad story- If someone learns from this to prevent this happening again, then maybe something good comes of it- But so horrible- They can overheat so fast..... :(
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top