‘Please keep Aron’s handler and entire K-9 team in your prayers’: HPD K-9 dies after left alone in vehicle

HOUSTON – A Houston Police Department K-9 officer died Monday after being left alone in a car by his handler.

According to KPRC 2 sources, the sergeant had taken three of his dogs to a training facility near Hobby Airport to run them through some drills.

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He took two of the dogs with him inside the building but left one in the back of his patrol vehicle. It is not known how long the animal had been left alone.

A statement released by HPD explained that the sergeant left the car on with the air conditioning running, but when he returned, the vehicle had turned off and the dog, Aron, was in distress. Aron was rushed to a veterinarian but succumbed to heat exhaustion.

HPD is investigating to determine what happened but explained that it is not uncommon to leave the dogs alone in vehicles and there are multiple fail safes in place to prevent such tragedies from occurring.

The statement read, in part:

“HPD K-9 vehicles are equipped with a system that notifies the handler, sounds the horn, activates cooling fans, and rolls down the care windows, if for some reason the vehicle shuts down. This did not happen in this instance. HPD is investigating the tragedy to determine what went wrong and to prevent this from happening in the future. All HPD vehicles that transport K-9s will immediately be inspected by the vendor to ensure the systems are working properly.

“Please keep Aron’s handler and the entire K-9 team in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Aron.”

Aron was 4 years old and had been with HPD for one and a half years.

Although it appears the handler had safety procedures in place with enhanced technology, everyday pet owners are reminded on how to keep their animals safe during these extremely hot days as temperatures and heat indexes have been reaching the triple digits in the Houston area.

The Houston SPCA has an urgent reminder for pet owners:

• Bring your pets inside during extreme temperatures. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them.
• Know where your pets are during the heat of the day. If they are outside and confined, remember the sun shifts during the day, leaving them in the direct sunlight.
• Check on them often. Water can evaporate when it’s hot outside, and pets can tip over water bowls, leaving them without proper hydration.
• If you see an animal in distress, please call the Houston SPCA at 713-869-7722 immediately.

Dr. Roberta Westbrook, Chief Veterinarian and Animal Medical Officer at the Houston SPCA shares several warning signs to look for when your pet is overheating:

SIGNS OF HEATSTROKE IN PETS

• Heavy panting
• Drooling
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Uncoordinated movements, lethargic

Dr. Westbrook recommends removing the pet out of the heat first before offering cool, not cold water, and covering them in a damp towel and contacting your veterinarian immediately.

MORE TIPS TO PREVENT HEAT-RELATED TRAGEDIES THIS SUMMER

Child hot car deaths: Tips to not forget your little one’s in the car this summer

5 ways to help keep you safe, cool in the heat

Heat safety for pets: Veterinarian discusses tips on how to keep pets cool during summer season

Beat the heat and keep your dogs cool this Summer!

Here are 17 ways to cool down your house to ease air-conditioning costs