A police dog has been found dead after allegedly overheating in an officer's patrol car.
The K-9 officer, named Ozzy, was found dead on August 14. The six-year-old half Belgian Malinois, half German shepherd was off-duty at the time of his death.
Ozzy worked with the Long Beach Police Department in California. His handling officer, who will not be identified, reported the dog's death to the department and an investigation is now underway.
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A statement by the Long Beach police public information office said a veterinary examination determined Ozzy's cause of death to be heat-related, reports the Daily Mail.
"Our K-9 vehicles are outfitted with fail-safe equipment that is meant to generate an alert. At this time, we believe this alert may not have been working," the statement said.
The public information officer says the equipment includes a heat-controller system that uses a cellphone app to signal when the vehicle is getting too warm.
She said all K-9 handlers have been checking their vehicle's systems prior to every shift since Ozzy's death.
Ozzy had worked as a K-9 for over five years.
It was around 28C in Los Angeles on August 14, according to AccuWeather.
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