Deputy Fired After Police K9 Dies in Hot Car

A police dog died after being left in a patrol car Sunday, and the officer involved has been fired. Georgia's Dade County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that it "tragically lost our newest member of our K-9 team," a bloodhound also named Georgia, ABC News reports. The dog's handler was allegedly in the sheriff's office while the dog was left in the car, and the vehicle's air conditioning compressor malfunctioned, WSB-TV reports. The car's heat alarm was also not working at the time, and "those 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," officials said in a statement.

Temperatures in the area were as high as 102 degrees Fahrenheit at the time. "Our hearts are aching at the loss of K9 Georgia. Many of you know that she was donated to us by a local family, at no cost to the sheriff's office," Sheriff Ray Cross said in a statement. "She was an amazing bloodhound who was sweet, goofy, and had all the potential to be the 'best of the best.'" He said K9s will no longer be left in cars for extended amounts of time during the summer, and any K9 vehicles not in fully working order will be removed from service. The county district attorney's office will decide whether to prosecute the deputy involved.