From ABC News: A Georgia sheriff’s deputy has been fired after a police dog died in their hot car, according to the Dade County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement shared on Tuesday, officials in Trenton said they “tragically lost our newest member of our K-9 team,” a bloodhound named Georgia.
The deputy responsible for Georgia allegedly left her alone in a patrol car on Sunday, with the heat index rising to around 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, officials said.
The Dade County Sheriff’s Office posted the following statement on Facebook:
On July 13th, we tragically lost our newest member of our K-9 team; K-9 Georgia.
What Happened?
On July 13th, 2025 the heat index in Trenton was around 100 to 102 degrees. Georgia’s Handler was inside the Sheriff’s Office, while Georgia was in her patrol car. Unfortunately, a combination of the following factors caused K-9 Georgia to pass away inside the vehicle’s kennel.
How did this happen?
The Sheriff’s Office immediately launched an investigation into the incident. What we found was that the air conditioner compressor on the patrol unit malfunctioned while K-9 Georgia’s Handler was inside the Sheriff’s Office, requiring total replacement of the compressor. The patrol vehicle was also equipped with a heat alarm that was not functioning. Those previous two factors, coupled with K-9 Georgia being left unattended for what we considered to be an unacceptable amount of time, contributed to her passing.
How will we make sure this never happens again?
Going forward, any K-9 vehicle we have will be taken out of service if ANY of the essential K-9 equipment isn’t in 100% working order. We are also going to overhaul our K-9 handler policy, and K-9’s WILL NOT be left in vehicles for extended periods of time during summer. At the direction of Sheriff Cross, K-9 Georgia’s handler is no longer an employee of Dade County Sheriff’s Office, and this entire incident will be turned over to the Dade County District Attorney’s Office to determine if prosecution is warranted in this particular case.
We will be 100% transparent about this incident! After we get a decision from the Dade County District Attorney’s Office about prosecution, we will know what additional details we can (or cannot) release.
Our hearts are aching at the loss of K-9 Georgia. Many of you know that she was donated to us by a local family, at no cost to the sheriff’s office. She was an amazing bloodhound who was sweet, goofy, and had all the potential to be the “best of the best”. She will be deeply missed by everyone at our office, and by anyone who had the pleasure to meet her.
A Georgia sheriff’s deputy has been fired after a police dog — named Georgia — died in their hot car, authorities said Tuesday. https://t.co/4xtjxMruDO pic.twitter.com/H7oN8Q0nAq
— ABC News (@ABC) July 15, 2025
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