# Paging equipment wouldn't have saved K9



## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

This just sucks. :sad:

*Paging equipment wouldn't have saved Chandler police dog*​ 
*Eugene Scott*
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 15, 2007 03:32 PM


Chandler K-9 vehicles have equipment that pages the officer if their vehicle is too hot for the dog, but the device would not have saved a Chandler police dog that died Saturday after his handler forgot he was in the car.

Sgt. Rick Griner, Chandler police spokesman, said he doesn't know if Sgt. Tom Lovejoy's pager was on Saturday, but even if it were, it likely would not have gone off. 

"The car has to be on for the device to go off," Griner said. "I'm sure there are different types out there, but the key has to be in the ignition for the pager to go off."

Bandit, a 5-year-old K-9 with the Chandler Police Department, died Saturday after Lovejoy left the dog unattended for more than 12 hours in a patrol car parked at home after he returned from an extra-duty shift. 

Lovejoy was put on administrative leave while Chandler and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office conduct separate investigations.

In addition to heat-sensing equipment that pages police, some police agencies have devices that call K-9 officers on their cell phones; set off the siren or horn; roll down the windows or turn on the air conditioning, said Russ Hess, executive director of the U.S. Police Canine Association. 

Griner and Hess were unaware of any equipment that notifies officers when a car gets too hot if the car isn't running.

Heat exhaustion is the leading cause of death for police K-9s, Hess said. 

Most animal rights activists interested in police canine issues focus on getting bulletproof vests.

"That's real common, especially recently in the last couple of years," he said. "But I always tell anybody looking to support causes in law enforcement, if you can only do one thing, you buy the heat alarm before the vest. And if you really want to do something, buy both."

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*Chief breaks silence on police-dog death*

Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 15, 2007 03:33 PM 

Chandler Police Chief Sherry Kiyler broke her silence Wednesday, four days after one of her department's police dogs died in his handler's vehicle. 

The animal had been left for more than 12 hours in a hot patrol car.

The chief released this brief statement: "The Chandler Police Department appreciates the concerns expressed by citizens regarding the tragic incident involving Sergeant Tom Lovejoy and his K-9 Bandit. This is a very difficult time and I clearly recognize the responsibility we have to thoroughly review this incident and respond appropriately. I assure you, the decisions we make will be based on a review of the entire circumstances of this incident." 

Kiyler and police spokesman Sgt. Rick Griner have declined to provide details about the incident, citing a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office criminal investigation and an internal Chandler Police Department probe.

Two Chandler City Council members say they expect more answers later. "We need to keep addressing this issue and answering citizens' comments and questions, Councilman Matt Orlando said. 

"I have confidence in the chief and I have been assured there will be a thorough investigation," Councilman Jeff Weninger said. "Hopefully, when we find out the details, we will have a better understanding of this unfortunate tragedy."


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

no excuses


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Ranks right up there in the stupidity files with the security guard in the company I worked for who forgot her guard dog was outside her car and drove off with him tied to it. Dog lived, but he was he was a long time in recovery.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

ann freier said:


> no excuses


It happens to thousands of dogs.

K9s, of course, are more in the spotlight; actually, it happens less to K9s than to civilian dogs, I read in an HSUS article last year, if the number of hours spent in vehicles is taken into account and adjusted for.

Let it be another reminder to everyone.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

12 hours though? My God...


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## Tim Martens (Mar 27, 2006)

ann freier said:


> no excuses


you're right. no excuses for jumping to conclusions when all the facts aren't out yet. i agree.

it's pretty ridiculous for the heat system to only work when the ignition is on. as far as i know, that's an installation problem. it should ALWAYS be "hot". it makes for a pain in the ass when you leave the sensor on at the end of your shift and the lights and siren go off in the back lot (i've done this a few times), but it saves K9 lives. i'm sure this is something that chandler will look at...


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

I feel bad for this officer. I'm sure he's devastated. I've read stories of fathers/mothers/grandparents/babysitters _accidentally_ leaving children in cars on hot days. Sometimes our minds go on auto-pilot and we forget even the most obvious things.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

If he had a pager, why didn't the heat alarm in the car go off and roll down the windows. I didn't know they had just a pager. Our system turns on a pretty stout fan, rolls down the windows and honks the horn. The systems we have are wired into the ignition, the key does not need to be on. In fact, when an officer exits the car, he can remove the key. The car stay running until the brake is applied, then the engine stalls, when the car heats up the alarm goes off. It does happen every year, it's a shame, it shouldn't happen.

DFrost


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Konnie Hein said:


> I feel bad for this officer. I'm sure he's devastated. I've read stories of fathers/mothers/grandparents/babysitters _accidentally_ leaving children in cars on hot days. Sometimes our minds go on auto-pilot and we forget even the most obvious things.


Yes..... like that father last year who drove to work, and worked all day, forgetting that it had been his turn to drop the baby off at the sitter's....... he parked in the lot, hurried in to his office while the baby slept in the back seat in her car-seat, and never thought about it again until someone else happened to look in the car window many hours later to see the baby dead in the car-seat.

And with the relatively recent development of car-seats in the back (and now even turned facing to the rear for very young children) .... as well as dogs crated in the back and not sitting on the front seat ... all these things that make them MUCH safer when the car is moving can make it so much easier for the driver to be "on autopilot," as Konnie said.  

Someone will come up with a switch that makes something beep when we leave the driver's seat with a child or dog in the back, or maybe an alert display on the car key ......


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## Tim Martens (Mar 27, 2006)

David Frost said:


> If he had a pager, why didn't the heat alarm in the car go off and roll down the windows. I didn't know they had just a pager. Our system turns on a pretty stout fan, rolls down the windows and honks the horn. The systems we have are wired into the ignition, the key does not need to be on. In fact, when an officer exits the car, he can remove the key. The car stay running until the brake is applied, then the engine stalls, when the car heats up the alarm goes off. It does happen every year, it's a shame, it shouldn't happen.
> 
> DFrost


exactly. i can't think of a reason why the system wouldn't be wired hot at all times.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Does this guy have to carry his bullits in his shirt pockets like Chris does???? =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

****ing ****ity **** **** clap****ing **** **** hands. Why the ****ity **** are they not ****ing working????????? ****.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> ****ing ****ity **** **** clap****ing **** **** hands. Why the ****ity **** are they not ****ing working????????? ****.


=D> 
=D> 
=D> 

=D> =D> =D> 

You must enter a space or "enter" after each clappy hands thing.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Connie, don't yell at Jeff. He's been trying soooo hard. I mean, how many times have you tried to explain the emoticon thingy to him?!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 
Jeff, it took Connie more then once to get through to me too with the emoticons. ](*,)  :lol:


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> Connie, don't yell at Jeff. He's been trying soooo hard.


I would never yell at Jeff..... he's so sensitive.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Jeff/sensitive
Isn't that called an oxi-moron?


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> Jeff/sensitive
> Isn't that called an oxi-moron?


isn't it kinda like calling a dog "hard" and "handler-soft" at the same time? (i'm hoping to get another terminology discussion going simply to occupy ppl ). esp if our dearest jeff is involved. might get interesting :-k 

BTW connie--that space bar can be elusive at times....:wink:


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