A Missouri police officer has been charged with leaving his police canine partner dead after leaving the dog in a hot car on a 90-degree day in June, authorities said.
Savannah Police Lt. Daniel Zeigler was charged Friday with animal cruelty in connection with the June 20 death of Holus, a German shepherd police dog who had been with the department for three years, according to court documents. Obtained by Fox 2.
Zeigler and Holce finished their night shift just before 5 a.m., but by 6 p.m. that day, Zeigler contacted Police Chief Dave Vincent to inform him that Holce had died, court documents state.
An investigation determined Holce had been left in his patrol car at the end of his shift and died of heat stroke as temperatures soared to 90 degrees Fahrenheit that day.
According to court documents, a witness told investigators she saw the deceased police dog in the yard near the police vehicle when Zeigler was “panicking” and screaming in disbelief, believing he had brought the dog inside at the end of his shift.
Another witness told police he helped bury Holus a few hours later and, during the burial, heard Zeigler admit to Vincent that he was to blame for Holus' death, according to the documents.
A few days later, a functional test of Zeigler's police vehicle was conducted.
When the temperature inside the car reached 90 degrees, the car repeatedly honked its horn, rolled down the rear window and turned on the fan.
According to court documents, testing of the AceK9 system in the vehicle found that the system was activated, meaning the safety device meant to protect the K-9 had been manually turned off or disabled on the day Hollus died.
A farewell ceremony for Horus the police dog was held last Saturday to mark three years of service to the community.
The police dog's death has sparked outrage in the community, with many angry that Horus was originally buried without a headstone.
Local residents then built a temporary memorial at Horus' burial site, and last month an anonymous donor purchased a permanent headstone for Horus, the media reported.
It is unclear whether Zeigler received any disciplinary action from the police department over the K-9's death.
A bill recently signed by Gov. Mike Parson increases penalties for law enforcement injuring or killing an animal, allowing those responsible to be charged with a Class D felony, the second-lowest felony in the state.
This charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, one year in county jail, or a court-ordered fine of up to $10,000.
