Beloved K-9 Officer Dies in Sweltering Hot Car, Community Demands Answers

Residents in the small town of Savannah, Missouri, is outraged after a K-9 officer died after being left in a hot car.

David Vincent, chief of the Savannah Police Department, confirmed Sunday to local TV station KCTV that the dog, Horus, died Thursday after complications from staying in a car after an overnight shift.

The outlet reports that the investigation into this incident is ongoing, but Horus' death is currently considered an accident.

According to The Weather Channel, temperatures reached 88 degrees in Savannah - which is about an hour north of Kansas City. Temps on Thursday and Friday hit 90 degrees. Much like other parts of the country, the town is under a heat advisory with index values reaching up to 108 degrees.

KCTV reports the Savannah PD is down to just three officers and considers Horus their fourth.

Newsweek has contacted Savannah PD for comment and has yet to hear back.

Meanwhile, members of the community are slamming the department on its Facebook page, which posted a photo Sunday of another missing dog roaming the town.

One person commented, "Oh but you couldn't post about your own officer who got locked in a car for [alleged] 6 hours and suffered an excruciating death??

"Well, at least he's not in a hot car. That would be criminal," a second snipped.

"Smart dog... I wouldn't let you catch me either," another person wrote.

A fourth claimed, "Savannah police chief misspelled neglect and homicide when he said leaving a dog in a vehicle was an accident."

Another person commented, saying the K-9's handler - whose identify has yet to be confirmed by the department - should get "life in prison like anyone else that isn't a cop that kills an officer."

Some users even went back to a Facebook photo of Horus from September 2023 in which the department thanked the pup for his service in honor of National Police K-9 Day.

"[The] Officer needs to be charged for murder," one person wrote. "Poor dog died due to negligence. You need to hold your officers accountable for their actions just as much as you would for the people you arrest. Disgusting."

Another said, "I guess his handler thanked him with a slow, agonizing death. Please, NEVER thank anyone else if that's how it's going to be."

The community has decided to honor the fallen K-9 with a candlelight vigil at Messick Park in Savannah on June 30, KQ2 reports.

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