NC sheriff: ‘Devastating sorrow,’ mystery remains over loved K9’s death in patrol SUV
A beloved Rowan County sheriff’s K-9 died of heat exhaustion in his off-duty handler’s unattended patrol SUV when the engine and air conditioning mysteriously quit, a three-month sheriff’s office investigation revealed.
“We have concluded that this was simply a tragic accident,” Sheriff Travis Allen said in a statement Thursday about the April 4 death of Kantor at his handler’s home.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t named the handler, but said the officer was out of town when Kantor died at the officer’s home.
Details revealed about dog’s death
A 17-year-old in the home put Kantor into the officer’s county-issued vehicle when the dog “became agitated and restless” that morning, Allen said. An adult in the home had left for work, the sheriff said.
The teen started the engine, turned the air conditioning on and closed the door, which Allen described as a common way to reduce a working police dog’s stress.
The adult family member found Kantor dead in the kennel of the SUV when the person returned from work, according to Allen.
Kantor’s handler was about three hours away and on his way home when his family told him Kantor died, Allen said.
Sheriff takes steps to prevent more tragedies
The vehicle dealership hasn’t been able to determine why the SUV’s engine shut off, Allen said.
But the teen didn’t turn on a K-9 protection system in the vehicle that would have sounded an alarm if the vehicle got too hot. The teen never realized they needed to do that, the sheriff said.
The sheriff said he immediately took steps “to ensure this never happens again.”
He ordered a review of the sheriff’s office K-9 policy, which led to new policies governing the care of the dogs at their handler’s home when the officer is away. The sheriff didn’t specify the new polices in his statement Thursday, but said all heat alarms on K-9 vehicles will be wired to activate automatically in such instances.
Sheriff’s Capt. Mark McDaniel said the office would not comment beyond what’s in the statement.
More than working dogs
Sheriff’s officials also consulted the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and have asked another sheriff’s office to review the incident, Allen said.
“The death of Kantor is a tragic accident,” Allen said. “His passing brought devastating sorrow to the handler and his family.”
The K-9s are more than working dogs, the sheriff said. They are “loved companions and close friends to the handlers and families they live with every day,” he said.
Sheriff’s officials can replace Kantor, “but the handler and his family will forever have the loss and void of his companionship and devotion,” Allen said. His cremated remains are in a special wood box in the passenger seat of his former handler’s vehicle.
This story was originally published July 6, 2023 at 12:43 PM.