K-9 officer dies in hot car, Missouri police officer charged with manslaughter.
K-9 Officer Horus' death led to the charging of Savanah Police Lt. Daniel Zeigler with one count of animal abuse.
In June, a Missouri police officer was charged for leaving his K-9 officer inside a hot car overnight, resulting in the dog's death.
Daniel Zeigler, a Savannah Police Lt., was charged with animal abuse in Andrew County on Friday.
Court documents obtained by Fox 2 reveal that the incident occurred on June 20, specifically at around 4:59 a.m., when Zeigler and his K-9 partner Horus finished their night shift.
At approximately 5:59 p.m. that day, Zeigler contacted Police Chief Dave Vincent of Savannah and shared the news that Horus had passed away.
Court records revealed that Horus died of heat exposure after being left in a police vehicle by Ziegler following the conclusion of their shift, as determined by an investigation.
The temperature on that day reached a high of 90 degrees and a low of 70 degrees, as reported by FOX 4.
A study by the American Veterinary Medical Association shows that the temperature inside a vehicle can exceed 100 degrees in just 30 minutes, even when it's only 70 degrees outside.
The witness in the court documents stated that they saw the deceased K-9 officer in the yard near the police vehicle that night and described Zeigler as being upset and shouting in disbelief that he thought he had left the K-9 with his partner at the end of his shift.
An investigation was carried out on Ziegler's car after he admitted to killing Horus. The car was parked outside in the sun with the engine off, and according to court documents, when the internal temperature hit 90 degrees, the car started honking, rolled down the windows, and turned on the fan.
The AceK9 system in the police vehicle was tested to ensure it was functioning properly, but it had to be manually shut down or deactivated on June 20, which led to the death of Horus by removing a safety feature, according to court documents.
On Saturday, a farewell service was held to honor K-9 Officer Horus, who had devotedly served the community for more than three years.
In July, the police department posted on social media that an anonymous donor had offered to buy a headstone for Horus.
Our K9 Officer Horus was honored with a headstone, thanks to our donor and Vanvickle Monuments.
Gov. Mike Parson recently signed a bill, known as Max's Law, which increases penalties for injuring and killing animals in law enforcement.
"These brave animals risk their lives daily to safeguard the public and their human companions," Republican state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer stated previously. "Legislation should safeguard them."
Lt. Ziegler is still on the Savannah Police Department staff roster, according to the department's website.
The Savannah Police Department has not responded to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.
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