Two Baltimore K-9 Officers Perish After Being Left in Vehicle: Reports

Two Baltimore Police K-9s reportedly died last week after being left in a vehicle outside the now-defunct Baltimore City Detention Center.

Dingo the Dutch shepherd and Kojack the bloodhound perished after they were left in a vehicle where the air conditioning failed, according to WBAL, which reported police could not say how long they were left inside.

According to the Humane Society, when the temperature is 72 degrees outside, it can reach 116 degrees inside a car within an hour. On the day the dogs were left inside the vehicle—Tuesday, Aug. 25—the high was 83 degrees in Baltimore, according to the National Weather Service.

The dogs had been working that day as authorities transferred detainees from the men’s detention center to other facilities before the complex closed forever at 5 p.m., according to The Baltimore Sun.

One dog died at the scene while another passed away Wednesday, the newspaper reported.

There have been several K-9 deaths nationwide this summer, with two in Georgia, and others reported in Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.

The Humane Society advises never leaving a dog alone in a vehicle.

Related: Baltimore City Men’s Detention Center Closes for Good

Baltimore Police told WBAL that officials were investigating whether departmental procedures were followed and noted the K-9 handlers were “devastated.”

In April, when Baltimore Police K-9 Cash died from medical conditions, police tweeted about it. There was no mention of Kojack and Dutch on Baltimore Police social media accounts as of Sept. 1.

According to the department, only two other dogs have died in the line of duty since the K-9 unit began in 1956. One was in 1971 and another was in 1982.

The day after Dingo and Kojack died, Baltimore Police helped rescue a man and his dog in the Inner Harbor.