Savannah, Missouri police dog Horus died after reportedly being left in a hot car when temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. (Savannah Police Department)
Authorities in Missouri are investigating after a police dog reportedly died in an overheated car after a nighttime patrol. The case sparked widespread outrage on social media.
David Vincent, police chief of the small city of Savannah, which is about 65 miles north of Kansas City, said K-9 Horus died on June 20. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures reached as high as 90 degrees that day, with a low of 70 degrees.
“The Savannah Police Department and the entire community have suffered a tremendous loss,” Vincent said in an emailed statement to Law&Crime. “K9 Horus passed away after completing an overnight shift on patrol in Savannah.”
According to Vincent, the case remains under investigation.
Kansas City Fox affiliate WDAF reported, citing police sources, that Horus was left in a hot car overnight. Police have not said how long Horus was in the car, but temperatures rise quickly in a closed vehicle without air conditioning. If it’s 90 degrees outside, a car can get as hot as 135 degrees after an hour, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates. Even if it’s 70 degrees, the temperature will rise to 115 degrees in the same period, the organization says.
The dog’s death has reduced the total number of officers in the Savannah Police Department to three, local CBS affiliate KCTV reported, but more officers are expected to begin work next week.
“As this is an open investigation, no further information will be released until the investigation is complete,” Vincent said. “The entire department would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we deal with the loss of our partner Horus.”
Horus, a purebred German shepherd, joined the police department in February 2021 at the age of 2, the department said in a Facebook post at the time. He and his handler trained for eight weeks and began patrolling in May 2021, the department said. Commenters have used the post announcing Horus’ arrival at the police department to express their outrage. Police have not publicly disclosed who left the dog in the car when he died.
Andrew County Attorney Monica Morrey said in a statement to WDAF that she has asked Missouri State Police to investigate the case.
“The Andrew County District Attorney’s Office is deeply saddened by the death of K-9 Horus. We are grateful for his dedication to our community,” the statement said. “I will await the results of this investigation before deciding on any necessary action.”
The Missouri legislature passed a bill this year that would increase penalties for injuring or killing a police dog. The bill makes killing a police dog a Class D felony – up to seven years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The bill is currently awaiting Governor Mike Parson’s signature.
“Under current law, it is actually a more serious crime to break the window of a police car, which admittedly is a serious crime,” Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, who is sponsoring the bill, told Missourinet. “It carries a harsher penalty than killing a police dog. So that just doesn’t seem right to me.”
