Rowan County K-9 dies following ‘tragic accident’
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office has lost a member of its K-9 unit following a “tragic accident.” On April 4, K-9 Kantor passed away from apparent heat exhaustion.
Sheriff Travis Allen said Kantor was at home with family members while his handler was out of town. One of the family members left for work, leaving Kantor with a 17-year-old in the home.
At some point, Kantor became agitated and restless so the 17-year-old Kantor in his issued county vehicle, started the engine, turned the air conditioning on and closed the door.
The sheriff said this commonly used practice will usually reduce stress for a working police K-9 due to the amount of time they spend in the kennel inside their patrol vehicle.
The 17-year-old family member was aware that this would likely calm the K-9, according to the sheriff’s office.
At some point, the engine of the vehicle shut off causing the heat level inside the vehicle to rise. Another family member returned to the home and found Kantor deceased in the kennel of the handler’s patrol SUV.
Allen said Kantor’s handler was already on his way back home when he received the call from his family notifying him that Kantor had passed.
An investigation revealed that at the time Kantor was placed in the vehicle, the air conditioning was running. However, the vehicle’s dealership has not been able to determine why the SUV’s engine shut off.
The sheriff said the teen was not aware the K-9 protection system needed to be activated. The system would have sounded an alarm when the temperature inside the SUV reached a certain level.
Due to this tragic accident, the sheriff’s office has immediately begun to take proactive steps to ensure this never happens again by reviewing its K-9 policy.
The sheriff said all of the heat alarms on K-9 vehicles will be wired in a manner that will allow them to be activated automatically once the vehicle is started and will remain activated during the time that the K-9 is inside the vehicle.
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The sheriff’s office will also be adopting new policies as it relates to the care for these K-9s when they are at home and their handler cannot be with them.
“The death of Kantor is a tragic accident. His passing brought devastating sorrow to the handler and his family. These K-9s are not just working dogs but also loved companions and close friends to the handlers and families they live with every day. The RCSO can replace Kantor, but the handler and his family will forever have the loss and void of his companionship and devotion. We here at the RCSO have taken steps and made policy changes to help avoid these tragic accidents in the future,” Allen said.
The sheriff said K-9 Kantor is still on duty with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
While he no longer rides in the back of the SUV in the kennel, his cremated remains are in a special wooden box that rides in the passenger seat with his handler.
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