New Jersey sergeant charged with animal cruelty after two K-9s die in hot police car

A Salem County sheriff's sergeant faces multiple animal cruelty charges after leaving K-9s Rip and Boomer in a turned-off vehicle for seven hours on 29 May.

Salem County K-9 handler charged after dogs Rip and Boomer die in parked vehicle

A New Jersey law enforcement sergeant is facing multiple animal cruelty charges after two police dogs died in his unventilated patrol vehicle on 29 May, cbsnews.com reports.

Cody Henderson, a sergeant and K-9 handler with the Salem County Sheriff's Office, allegedly left German shepherds Rip and Boomer unattended in a sheriff's vehicle for approximately seven hours without adequate ventilation or care, according to a news release from the Salem County Prosecutor's Office issued Tuesday.

Henderson subsequently found both dogs dead and transported them to an animal hospital in Delaware. The vehicle had been switched off, meaning an emergency alert system was never triggered. Indoor kennels were, according to prosecutors, "immediately available" at the time but were not used.

A veterinarian with the New Jersey Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory ruled the cause of death as likely heat stroke. The high temperature in Salem that day reached 81 degrees Fahrenheit, National Weather Service records show. Video evidence and key fob logs confirmed Henderson had not left the Salem County courthouse for several hours, and documents indicated the vehicle had previously been flagged for an air conditioning problem.

Rip, aged four, had served as a patrol and narcotics-detection dog for nearly three years. Boomer, aged six, had worked as a bomb detection dog for the past five years.

The Salem County Sheriff's Office posted a statement on social media expressing that it "remains deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our K-9 partners, Rip and Boomer." The statement described the two dogs as having "exemplified the highest standards of service, loyalty, and dedication," adding that "their contributions to public safety and their commitment to duty will not be forgotten."

The office noted the deaths had "a profound impact on our agency, our law enforcement community, and the citizens they faithfully served."

When the animals died, the sheriff's office immediately referred the matter to prosecutors. Henderson has since been suspended from duty pending the outcome of criminal proceedings and an internal investigation.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)