A small Missouri town has been left reeling following the tragic death of a police K9, Horus, who succumbed to heat after being left in a hot car overnight by deputies.
Savannah Police Department's Chief David Vincent confirmed to KCTV, a CBS affiliate, that the German shepherd died last Thursday due to health complications from being trapped in the vehicle after an overnight shift.
Though an investigation is underway, the incident is currently being treated as an accident. Andrew County Prosecuting Attorney Monica J. Morrey has called for a special investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, according to a statement issued on Sunday.
"The Andrew County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is deeply saddened to learn of K-9 Horus' passing. We are grateful to him for his service to our community," the statement read.
Savannah is one of many towns grappling with an intense heat wave, with temperatures soaring to 88 and 90 degrees and heat index values reaching up to 109 degrees, as reported by The Weather Channel.
Horus, one of four K9 units in the police department, had served since February 2021. According to KCTV, several new officers are scheduled to begin training next week.
The name of the officer responsible for supervising Horus has not been disclosed.
Chief Vincent, in a statement to WDAF, a local Fox affiliate, said: "Due to this being an open investigation, there will be no further information released until the investigation is completed. The entire department would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we deal with the loss of our partner, Horus."
Notably, the department has yet to acknowledge Horus's death on their Facebook page, drawing anger from the community who have criticized the department on their recent posts.
"It’s not an accident when the public does it and it’s not an accident now," commented one user. "We demand charges for the person who did this."
"Can I leave your police officer in your car for 6 hours, without air conditioning? Oh, that's a crime? Weird," another user sarcastically remarked.
"You need to explain K9 Horus's death and let the public know how you will fix this, because nobody is going to let a dog's death go down like this. You have to address this," demanded another.
A former police officer also voiced frustration, stating: "You don't leave your partner in a patrol vehicle without constantly checking on him. If nothing happens to the police officer, it's because he was connected to someone."
Adding to the controversy, the police station posted a photo on Facebook of another missing dog roaming the town the same day they announced Horus's death, which many users found insensitive.
