Police K-9 Found Dead In Back Of Patrol Car
City and county authorities are investigating the death of a San Diego police dog whose body was found in the back seat of a patrol car at his handler's home. The grim discovery was made Friday in Alpine, where temperatures had topped 100 degrees. According to the San Diego Police Department, the dog was a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois named Forrest. Forrest stayed with his handler at this house in Alpine, about 20 miles east of downtown San Diego.
Sources familiar with the investigation identified the dog's handler as Paul Hubka, a 22-year veteran who's a director of the San Diego Police Officers Association. Sources told NBC 7/39 Hubka returned from an overnight shift, went into his house, and came out a few hours later to discover Forrest's body in the back seat of his patrol car. Police, sheriff's deputies and animal control officers converged on the neighborhood and began an investigation that's still awaiting necropsy results. Officials said Malinois are a deep-chested breed, susceptible to an often-fatal ailment known as gastric tortion.
The San Diego Police Department said they have lost two Malinois to gastric tortion in the past couple of years. But the stifling weather and circumstances leading to Forrest's death have suggested the possibility of heat exposure. Hubka's next-door neighbor, Bill Mariotti, said Hubka moonlights extensively while off-duty. Mariotti thinks the officer may have been exhausted, and might have fallen asleep without letting Forrest out of the car. Mariotti said Hubka was nothing but diligent in handling Forrest.
"Taking care of the animal, feeding the animal, watering the animal. Every time he came in off shift, same thing -- let the dog run around, exercise a little bit -- let the dog spool down." For now, investigators and POA officials are withholding comment on the case. Last summer, two police dogs -- one in suburban Phoenix, the other in suburban Atlanta -- died of heat exposure after being left for hours in their handlers' patrol cars.  The police sergeant involved in the Arizona case goes to trial Friday on misdemeanor charges of animal neglect.  submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Canada Police dog killed in search for missing man
PSD Fred struck by vehicle minutes after arriving on Springfield scene
NovaNewsNow.com
The accidental death of an RCMP dog near Springfield Wednesday has saddened police officers in South Western Nova Scotia and has devastated the dog’s partner Sgt. Marcel Guilbault of the Chester Detachment, said RCMP spokesman Sgt. Mark Gallagher.  The three-year-old, 80-pound German shepherd named Fred, was apparently struck by a vehicle shortly after 10:30 a.m., minutes after arriving at a search scene about three kilometers from Springfield. Police were searching for 77-year-old William Lewis, a man described as a recluse who had not been seen for some time. Gallagher said that nobody saw the dog being hit, but did hear a noise that might have been the impact of the vehicle hitting Fred. Then yelping noises were heard. Gallagher said a grayish vehicle, that looked similar to a Toyota SUV was seen but the vehicle didn’t stop. Gallagher said Guilbault was devastated. “It’s having your partner killed,” he said. “For the dog master it’s the buddy you spend night and day with. You have a very close bond. For some it’s like losing a child.”  Annapolis RCMP Sgt. Gordon Hay, who arrived at the scene after the accident, said PSD Fred was a purebred German shepherd described by Guilbault as remarkably bright, having finished training in half the time other Police Services Dogs require. He said Fred only had to be shown something once and he remembered it. “He (Guilbault) has lost a partner and a friend,” said Hay. “He was very sad. There’s a bond there that goes beyond being a pet owner.”
Hay said with Fred’s death, the RCMP have lost a valuable member and specialized resource.
Galleghar said that under the Motor Vehicle Act, there is nothing that requires a driver to stop when they hit an animal, but added that most people stop and check. He said that the RCMP would like to know exactly what happened. “There would be no charges, obviously,” he said “We just want to get the information.”
He said the police, and especially Guilbault would like some closure.  “It’s hard for everybody, especially the dog handler,” he said. “He was part of the family and part of work.”  Galleghar said a memorial service will be held for Fred, but said it was too early to say when or where. He said it could be in Chester or even at RCMP headquarters in Halifax.
The search for William Lewis started Tuesday afternoon after Department of Natural Resources patrols came upon circumstances that seemed out of the ordinary to them, said Hay. RCMP were contacted and then police contacted the man’s family.  For the first two days of the search, the Department of Natural Resources supplied a helicopter to help search. On Thursday an RCMP helicopter took over. Also involved were members of Annapolis Ground Search and Rescue.  As of mid-afternoon Thursday, Lewis had not been located.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

"Flicak" passed away on Wednesday, January, 30, 2008. "Flicka" spent the last five months
with handler Allen Kinsley, of the Linn County Sheriff's Office. "Flicka" served with the Linn County Sheriff's Office since 2004. "Flicka" apparenty succombed to complications from emergency surgery
which she had on January 4th.
""The greater love is a mother's; then comes a dog's; then a sweetheart's." - Polish Proverb
submitted by Jim Cortina