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Police Dogs Die In Car In Hot Weather

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Post  Admin Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:44 am

police officer is to face prosecution over the deaths of two police dogs in Nottinghamshire, BBC News has learned.

The German shepherd dogs were found dead in a private vehicle outside Nottinghamshire Police's headquarters on 30 June.

Legal proceedings will be brought against an officer for allegedly causing unnecessary suffering to the animals, the RSPCA confirmed.

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed the officer has been suspended.

A police spokesperson said: "Following a review of the circumstances into the deaths of two police dogs, Nottinghamshire Police has taken the decision to suspend the police officer involved.

"An internal inquiry is also continuing."

The Met Office said it reached 28.1C (82.5F) in Nottingham on 30 June.

The RSPCA has said the force reported the incident to them on the day it happened and had co-operated with the charity in the investigation.

Anyone convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal could face up to six months in prison and a £20,000 fine.
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Post  Admin Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:41 pm

The police force at the centre of a row after two of its highly-trained dogs died from heatstroke in a car had recently spent £300,000 on new kennels, it was revealed today.

The German Shepherds were found dead in a private car which had been left in the main car park at Nottinghamshire Police's headquarters in Arnold on Tuesday afternoon.

Their police handler, who was on duty, had gone inside sometime before the dogs were found dead.

The handler, who has not been suspended and is now at home on leave, could be prosecuted, the force confirmed.

Today, it emerged that the car park, which is shaded in parts, is only yards away from the force's new kennels.

They were recently built at a cost of £300,000 and have tiled floors and state-of-the-art heaters for the winter.

Councillor John Clarke, chairman of Nottinghamshire Police Authority, said: "I think there will be some retribution for this at some point in the future.

"But I know the team will be mortified. It's a very close-knit team.

"It's tragic when you consider we have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on kennels. Unfortunately tragedies do happen."

The force also revealed that it had received several calls from members of the public angry at what had happened.

It now has 24 dogs and 35 staff in the section, which is used to trace drugs, police major events and track down criminals on the run.

Although Nottinghamshire Police now has its own dog breeding programme, it is thought that the German Shepherds had been donated by a breeder for public service.

It takes nine weeks of intensive training and costs more than £7,000 before a police dog can go out on patrol.

The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in prison and a £20,000 fine.

In most cases police dogs live with their handlers. The dog handler at the centre of the RSPCA inquiry into what happened will be questioned by inspectors from the charity next week.

Chief Superintendent Ak Khan said the force was upset by the deaths of the two dogs. He faced reporters outside the force's HQ shortly after dog handler Pc Tony Crowshaw appeared with Guido, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, which is similar to a German Shepherd.

A bouquet of flowers, including lilies and chrysanthemums, was then laid outside the Sherwood Lodge HQ.

Mr Khan said: "This has caused understandable upset and shock to all concerned.

"There are procedures in place and it is important that we go back and review those and make sure that we have complied with them.

"We are taking the matter very seriously and we can understand the upset that this has caused. We will certainly learn any lessons and make sure this never happens again."

On Tuesday, temperatures reached 29.4C (84.9F0 in Nottingham, one of the hottest days in the city so far this year.

A number of animal welfare charities have said it does not take long for a dog left in a baking hot car to die.

The Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog and welfare charity, said it was "saddened" by the news.

A spokeswoman said: "Whilst the cause of death is still to be determined, the charity would like to remind dog owners and police dog handlers that leaving your dog locked in car can prove fatal, particularly during a heatwave.

"It can take just 20 minutes for a dog to die and temperatures reach over 40 degrees in some vehicles."

A spokesman for the RSPCA added: "I'm sure this isn't the first incident and it won't be the last."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it had received a referral from the force and was deciding whether to investigate.
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