Police dog handler faces prosecution after German shepherds left in baking car die

A POLICE officer could be prosecuted after two dogs died when they were left in a car, it emerged yesterday.

The RSPCA can prosecute the officer if it believes he or she broke the law by leaving the two German shepherds in the baking car.

The animals were left in the car park of Nottinghamshire Police HQ when the officer went inside. Animal charities yesterday warned owners it only takes 20 minutes for a dog to die in a car parked in the sun, as temperatures inside can exceed 40C.

On Tuesday, temperatures reached 29.4C (84.9F) in Nottingham, one of the hottest days in the city this year.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it would not be investigating the deaths. The matter would be handed back to Nottinghamshire Police for an internal investigation.

The dog handler at the centre of the RSPCA inquiry will be questioned by inspectors from the charity next week.

David Green, a spokesman for the RSPCA, said there were a number of penalties the charity could seek if the officer was found to have broken the law. The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in prison and a £20,000 fine.

Mr Green said: “The same guidelines apply when it comes to prosecuting a police officer or a member of the public. What can happen, and what does happen, is that the courts use other appropriate sanctions such as a lifetime ban to prevent tragic incidents being repeated.”

Mr Green added it is usually the individual, rather than the organisation, that is shown to be responsible.

Yesterday it emerged the dogs were found dead in a private car belonging to their handler, which was parked just yards from a new set of kennels at the force’s HQ.

The £300,000 accommodation has tiled floors, fans and heaters for the winter.

It also emerged the force received a number of angry calls from members of the public throughout yesterday.

The handler has not been suspended.

Nottinghamshire Police has its own dog breeding programme but it is understood the dead German shepherds were donated by a breeder.

In most cases police dogs live with their handlers.

In Inverness, animal welfare officers are carrying out spot checks in car parks following the deaths of three dogs in hot cars last month.

On Wednesday, the P&J reported the Scottish SPCA had launched an investigation after two dogs died in a car in Inverness. A city vet also revealed a third dog, owned by one of the surgery’s clients, had died after being left in a car in high temperatures.

Scottish SPCA officers have this week been checking cars at Inverness Retail and Business Park, with warning leaflets being attached to cars where dogs had been left.

Scottish SPCA chief inspector Iain Allen said: “We are receiving a high level of calls regarding dogs being left in hot cars. Our inspectors are responding to these calls and spot-checking other vehicles parked nearby. We are leaving leaflets on any cars that we find with dogs in them, highlighting the dangers.”

A spokeswoman for the charity said officers would smash windows if there were fears for a dog and the owner could not be contacted.