Chandler police dog left in car dies

East Valley Tribune (AZ) ^ | August 13, 2007 | Christian Richardson

[yorkie]

Sgt. Tom Lovejoy, who heads the six-dog K-9 unit, found the 5-year-old Belgian Malinois when he walked out to the vehicle parked at his home, police spokesman Sgt. Rick Griner said.

[yorkie]

I'm ill, just reading this. Poor Bandit. Temperatures have been over 110 in Phoenix all week - and this dog was left in a car for the weekend?

[ikka]

Will he be charged with killing a police officer, the way that someone else killing a police dog would be?

[yorkie]

I tried to post the AZ Republic article, but it is not allowed here.

I hope it is acceptable with administration if I post a link. It is a much more detailed article:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/0813cr-deaddog.html

[umgud]

He should have just shot the dog. It would have been more humane. I know a few K-9 cops and their dog is almost family.

[yorkie]

Bandit was considered to be the partner of Sgt. Lovejoy. And it was reported tonight, that he was not put on leave.

[yorkie]

Bandit was considered to be the partner of Sgt. Lovejoy. And it was reported tonight, that he was not put on leave.

[ozzymandus]

This happens quite a bit. A nearby small-town PD paid $10,000 for a “dope dog”, and the dumbass handler left him in the car on a hot day and killed him. Our local PD decided they needed a “dope dog” as well (it’s a big cop fad, apparently) and bought one for the same 10 grand. A nearby Sheriff’s department offered to GIVE them their dog, who they decided was useless, but NOOO, the cops had to burn 10K of taxpayer money. The dog was worthless, and when the “handler” went to another town, he took the frigging dog with him. No explanations were forthcoming, as is usual in small-town politics, where nobody with a life wants to get involved in the local govt.

[Dov in Houston]

parked at his home,

He should be charged like any other citizen

[Dick Bachert]

I, too, am sick to see this story after having to put down my 13 year-old Lab on Friday.
I suspect Scoob and Bandit are getting acquainted at this very moment.

[yorkie]

>>He should be charged like any other citizen<<

Not only charged, but indicted, convicted and incarcerated.

I look at the picture of that dog, and I just cry!

[yorkie]

>>Scoob and Bandit are getting acquainted at this very moment.<<

Yes, I am sure they are. At Rainbow Bridge.

http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html

[Paisan]

when he walked out to the vehicle parked at his home

The implication in this phrase is more than misleading. How did the vehicle, parked at his home, get there? Did the dog drive it there? Did someone else park it there?

[airedale]

I’m not in Arizona, I’m in California but if I did that to my dog I’d be in jail and criminal charges would be pressed. In California it would be felony animal neglect if your dog died that way. What are Arizona animal cruelty laws? Looking the subject up on line it certainly looks like this officer is guilty of violation of a number of Arizona laws: http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/dawson/cruelty/az_cruel.htm Section 12-2910 applies to police dogs since they are working animals. It looks like in Arizona it’s only a class 1 misdemeanor which as I understand it is the most serious level of misdemeanor since the behavior as described appears reckless. It looks to me like he violated section A1, A3, A4, A7 and probably A6 since the city is the owner of the working animal If he violated A7 it’s a felony and that’s similar what’s charged here in California if you leave a dog in a car in 100 degree weather and it dies. I’m not a lawyer but not charging him raises some interesting questions.

Arizona Cruelty to Animals Statutes

ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES
TITLE 13. CRIMINAL CODE
CHAPTER 29. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER

§ 13-2910. Cruelty to animals; interference with working or service animal; classification; definitions

A. A person commits cruelty to animals if the person does any of the following:
1. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly subjects any animal under the person’s custody or control to cruel neglect or abandonment.
2. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly fails to provide medical attention necessary to prevent protracted suffering to any animal under the person’s custody or control.
3. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly inflicts unnecessary physical injury to any animal.
4. Recklessly subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment.
5. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly kills any animal under the custody or control of another person without either legal privilege or consent of the owner.
6. Recklessly interferes with, kills or harms a working or service animal without either legal privilege or consent of the owner.
7. Intentionally or knowingly subjects any animal under the person’s custody or control to cruel neglect or abandonment that results in serious physical injury to the animal.
8. Intentionally or knowingly subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment.
9. Intentionally or knowingly interferes with, kills or harms a working or service animal without either legal privilege or consent of the owner.

B. It is a defense to subsection A of this section if:
1. Any person exposes poison to be taken by a dog which has killed or wounded livestock or poison to be taken by predatory animals on premises owned, leased or controlled by the person for the purpose of protecting the person or the person’s livestock or poultry, and the treated property is kept posted by the person who authorized or performed the treatment until the poison has been removed, and the poison is removed by the person exposing the poison after the threat to the person, or the person’s livestock or poultry has ceased to exist. The posting required shall provide adequate warning to persons who enter the property by the point or points of normal entry. The warning notice which is posted shall be readable at a distance of fifty feet, shall contain a poison statement and symbol and shall state the word “danger” or “warning”.
2. Any person uses poisons in and immediately around buildings owned, leased or controlled by the person for the purpose of controlling wild and domestic rodents as otherwise allowed by the laws of the state, excluding any fur- bearing animals as defined in § 17-101.

[AZLiberty]

Sad stuff happens. Sounds like the officer worked an extra shift, was too tired to remember the presence of the dog (who was probably sleeping in the back seat after his extra shift), and fell into bed.

[txroadkill]

No excuse. I was a K-9 officer for 3 years, my dogs were my partners, my friends and part of my family. They are not like pets. I know that there are people out there that are closer to their pets than their own children, but with a K-9 partner the relationship is even closer than that. I have never known a K-9 handler that didn't feel the same way.

I am completely beside myself, I do not understand how this could happen, I would put it in the same category as a cop falling asleep and letting his partner get shot.

[yorkie]

Sorry, AZ. I don’t buy it. Didn’t he *think* of walking the dog? *Feeding* the dog? Putting the dog in it’s *bed*? For an entire weekend - this dog - who I believe was in his charge, was left to come to a boiling point (or above) in a car in his driveway.

As an earlier poster suggested - that dog was an officer. It was his *partner*. How can that be forgotten?

[Porterville]

I never forget my dogs. Ever. I don’t go on vacations because I’d rather be home with my dogs. I take them everywhere I can.

[Slings and Arrows]

Those laws are for the serfs, not the masters.

[dragnet2]

Very sad...German Shepards are some of the greatest dogs on this planet...Best of friends, and loyal to the bone. What a shame.

[Fishtalk]

Not to be picky, but since I have one....

....this is a Belgian Malinois. They’re very different than a German shepherd.

This dog looks like my dog. Breaks my heart.