The Gulf Shores Police Department has advised they lost a K9 member of their service this past Friday.
Mason, 3, died as a result of the effects of heatstroke, after being forgotten in the back seat of his partner’s police car. Corporal Josh Coleman found Mason was missing on Thursday evening realized that the young lab must have been left in the car. When retrieved from the backseat Mason was in great distress.
He was rushed to a veterinary clinic and later transferred to a more emergent/specialized facility. Sadly, Mason succumbed to the effects of his heatstroke Friday.
Gulf Shores Police have advised that Corporal Coleman will not be criminally charged, but will face internal sanctions.
This is the second time in as many months that K9’s have lost their lives as a result of being forgotten in their partner’s cars. Officer Nelson Enriquez of the Hialeah Police forgot his canine partners in the back of his police car in Florida in May.
The officers in both these incidents are devastated at the loss of their canine partners with some now comparing these incidents to Forgotten Baby Syndrome, when parents have left their children inadvertently in their cars.
These incidents bring to light an idea that perhaps it’s time for police services across the country to install reminder alarms in police vehicles so every officer is prompted to check the back seat, and remove their dogs, so no more lives are lost.
References:
1. WDTN.com 2. WKRG.com 3. GulfCoastNewsToday
