Police dogs die in hot car
Keston, Kent, EN (UK)Incident Date: Sunday, Jun 26, 2011
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Ian Craven
The head of a police dog training school in the UK was reportedly recovering today from an attempt to commit suicide after two police dogs roasted to death in his car on one of the hottest days of the year.
Sergeant Ian Craven could face prosecution for animal cruelty after the dogs - a Belgian Malinois bitch called Chay and a German Shepherd puppy, Tilly - were found dying in an unventilated vehicle at the Metropolitan Police's training centre in Kent, south-east England, on Sunday (local time) as temperatures soared to 84F (29C).
It is the second time a puppy in his care has died after being left in a sweltering car in hot weather. Details of the incident, about three years ago, were not made public at the time. Craven received a formal warning, but was later promoted from the rank of PC.
The 49-year-old father of three, one of England's most experienced dog handlers, had locked the animals in his vehicle with the windows closed before going to a meeting in east London. He remembered them around an hour later and phoned colleagues to raise the alarm.
Kennel workers cut open the cage, but despite attempts to resuscitate the dogs, they were later pronounced dead by an emergency vet.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed to The (London) Times today that Sergeant Craven had been admitted to the hospital with a "hand injury".
The spokesman declined to confirm reports the officer had jumped from a colleague's moving car and attempted to slash his wrist.
Kennel assistant, Tina Dale, 54, who was among those who tried to save the animals, described it as the "worst day of my life".
She said on a social networking site, "The suffering those dogs went through is too unbearable to think about. I'm in bits, we tried so so hard, but it was too long, the damage had been done. What a bloody awful way to die."
A Met Police spokesman said it was investigating the incident.
The deaths follow those of two German Shepherd police dogs, who were left to die in a baking hot car outside Nottinghamshire Police headquarters in July 2009. Police dog handler Mark Johnson was handed a six-month conditional discharge after he was found guilty of animal cruelty in relation to their deaths. References |
