Deadly Heat: Police Dogs Die When Left In Patrol Cars

In the last seven years at least 29 police K-9s have sweltered to death after officers left the dogs inside hot patrol vehicles.
Untold numbers of pets die because they are left in cars, but the deaths of police dogs can be particularly heartrending because they, like uniformed officers, put their lives on the line. And these dogs don’t need to die. New technology can warn handlers who’ve left their K-9s in cars.
With the exception of their paws, dogs lack the sweat glands that humans have on their skin. The main way dogs cool themselves is panting. Since police dogs are usually German shepherds or Belgian Malinois, with thicker coats and darker hair, they are more susceptible to heat stroke than other breeds.
The vast majority of such K-9 deaths occur in local police forces, but dogs also sweltered to death while in vehicles belonging to airport police, corrections departments, and other types of law enforcement agencies.