Cop accused in K-9 partner’s death after leaving pooch in sweltering car

A Missouri police officer has been charged in the death of his K-9 partner after forgetting the dog in a hot car on a 90-degree day this past June, authorities said

Savanah Police Lieutenant Daniel Zeigler was charged with one count of animal abuse on Friday in connection to the June 20 death of his K-9 partner Horus, a German Shepard who had been with the department for three years, according to court documents obtained by Fox 2 .

Zeigler and Horus completed their overnight shift just before 5 a.m. — but by 6 p.m. that day, Zeigler contacted Police Chief Dave Vincent to inform him Horus was dead, court documents said.

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An investigation found that Horus had been left inside the cop car at the end of the shift and died from heat exposure, as temperatures soared to 90 degrees that day.

One witness told investigators they saw the deceased K-9 officer in the yard near the police vehicle while Zeigler was “flipping out” and yelling in disbelief because he thought he had brought the K-9 inside at the end of his shift, according to court documents.

Another witness told cops they helped bury Horus hours later, and during the burial heard Zeigler admit to Vincent that Horus’ death was his fault, according to the documents.

Days later, a functionality test was performed on Zeigler’s cop car.

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When the car’s internal temperature reached 90 degrees, the vehicle began to honk repeatedly, rolled down the rear windows and activated a fan.

Court documents say that the test on the AceK9 system inside the car found the system was working, meaning the safeguard meant to protect the K-9 was either manually turned off or deactivated on the day of Horus’ death.

A farewell service for Horus was held this past Saturday to honor the K-9’s three years of serving the community.

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The police dog’s death has sparked outrage within the community, with many people upset that Horus was originally buried with no marker.

Community members then created a makeshift memorial at his burial site, with an anonymous donor purchasing a permanent headstone for Horus last month, the outlet reported.

It’s unclear if Zeigler faced any disciplinary action from the department over the K9’s death.

A recent bill signed by Gov. Mike Parson increased the penalties for injuring and killing animals in law enforcement, stating that those responsible could face a Class D Felony charge, the second-lowest class of felonies in the state.

The charge could lead to a prison sentence of up to seven years, one year in a county jail or a court-imposed fine of up to $10,000.

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