Alabama K9 Mason died last Friday at the age of three when his distracted handler left him in an overheating patrol vehicle for hours on end.
The deceased yellow Lab was popular in the community because he was trained as a police dog ambassador rather than for assisting in the arrests of suspects.
The department has not revealed exactly how long Mason had been locked in his K-9 handler’s squad car before succumbing to heatstroke, but reports that the officer is distraught at his fatal oversight and has been disciplined, albeit not fired.
"This is a tragic occurrence that has left the entire organization mourning a terrible loss," the Gulf Shores Police Department said in its press release concerning it’s fallen canine. "It also illustrates how easy it is to become distracted, and how quickly heat can affect those that we love that are particularly vulnerable to it."
The district attorney investigated and also agreed no criminal charges should be filed in the death of K9 Mason, which occurred during a heat wave that saw both children and other domesticated animals quickly die under similar circumstances.
The coastal town of Gulf Shores is near the Gulf of Mexico and a matter of miles from Pensacola Florida, and boasts a very modest population of less than 11,000.
Nevertheless, as a result of the tropical temperatures in spring and summer, almost 40 small children -- and untold dozens of pets -- are inadvertently killed each year when left in hot vehicles by their absentminded custodians.
