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Died – 7/20/16
Handler – Officer Oscar Vargas
Porterville police dog dies after car’s air conditioner shuts down
A Porterville police dog died Wednesday in the back of a department vehicle. The engine had been running with the air conditioner on, but the engine stopped for unknown reasons. The dog, a male named Idol, was put into the vehicle to cool off after a training session with his handler, officer Oscar Vargas, at Vargas’ residence. The temperature outside was over 90 degrees. Porterville police equip their K-9s with warning systems that alert handlers when temperatures are too high for the dogs. The system did not activate, police said. Vargas returned to the car about an hour and a half after he had placed Idol in the car and found the animal dead. Idol was about three and a half years old. The dog had worked with Porterville police for two years. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office was asked to investigate.
It was found that a cable to Idol’s heat-warning system was disconnected, but further testing showed the system was faulty and would not have activated even if the cable was connected. The system was six years old. Porterville police says they had already ordered new warning systems for their remaining K-9 officers. The investigation did not determine why the car shut down. Porterville police Capt. Jake Castellow said it is common practice to place their dogs in a vehicle to cool off and protect them from extreme temperatures. Castellow says Vargas was on standby and expected to be called at any moment. He is not expected to face charges. Castellow, who worked as a K-9 handler for several years, says losing a dog is a hard thing to deal with.
