GEORGIA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — In what’s being described as a horrible accident, a K9 died this week after being left in a patrol vehicle during scheduled active shooter training.
The incident happened outside Allatoona High School in Acworth, Georgia just after 2 p.m., Monday, June 5. Cobb County Police said officers were attending active shooter training at the school when K9 Chase was found unresponsive in a patrol vehicle by K9 Officer Neill.
Life-saving measures were started by Officer Neill, other officers, and fire personnel. K9 Chase was transported to a nearby emergency veterinarian clinic. Tragically, the efforts were not enough to save him, and he died of heat-related injuries, police said.
Cobb County Police said officers had been at training since 11 a.m. Monday and had been checking on their K9 partners on the hour for 15-minute breaks between each 45-minute training session.
“At some point after the previous check, the air conditioning system malfunctioned in Officer Neill’s patrol vehicle. Preliminary information indicates that other safety systems did not properly activate, and the temperature quickly rose in the vehicle,” Cobb County Police said.
K9 Chase will be taken to the University of Georgia for a necropsy.