Police officer charged with death of his canine partner after leaving his dog in a sweltering car

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

Savanah police Lt. Daniel Zeigler was charged Friday with animal cruelty in the June 20 death of his K-9 partner Horus, a German shepherd who had served with the police force for three years, according to court documents obtained by Fox 2.

Zeigler and Horus finished their night shift just before 5 a.m. – but at 6 p.m. that same day, Zeigler contacted Police Chief Dave Vincent to tell him that Horus was dead, court documents say.

An investigation revealed that Horus was left in the police car at the end of the shift and died from heat exposure as temperatures rose to 90 degrees that day.

A witness told investigators they saw the deceased police dog in the yard next to the police vehicle while Zeigler was “freaking out” and screaming in disbelief, thinking he had brought the police dog in at the end of his shift, court documents state.

Another witness told police they helped bury Horus hours later and, during the funeral, heard Zeigler admit to Vincent that Horus' death was his fault, documents say.

Days later, a functional test was carried out on Zeigler's police car.

When the temperature inside the car reached 90 degrees, the vehicle began to honk repeatedly, roll down the rear windows and turn on a fan.

According to court documents, testing of the AceK9 system in the car showed that the system was working, meaning that the protective device designed to protect the dog was either manually turned off or deactivated on the day of Horus' death.

Last Saturday, a farewell service was held for Horus to honor the dog’s three years of service to the community.

The death of the police dog sparked outrage in the community, with many people upset that Horus was originally buried without a headstone.

Community members then erected a temporary memorial at his gravesite, and an anonymous donor purchased a permanent headstone for Horus last month, the outlet reported.

It is unclear whether Zeigler was disciplined by the department for the death of the police dog.

A bill recently signed by Governor Mike Parson increased penalties for injuring and killing animals in police work, stating that those responsible could face a Class D felony charge, the second lowest class of felony in the state.

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