Missouri cop charged in death of dog left in hot car

A Missouri police officer has been charged after allegedly leaving his K-9 officer inside a hot car overnight in June, resulting in his death.

Charges were filed Friday against Savannah Police Lt. Daniel Zeigler in Andrew County, including one count of animal abuse.

According to court documents obtained by Fox 2, the incident took place on June 20 when Zeigler and his K-9 partner Horus finished their night shift just before 5 a.m.

Shortly before 6 p.m. that same day, Zeigler contacted Savannah Police Chief Dave Vincent and informed him that Horus was dead.

MISSOURI K-9 OFFICER DIES AFTER BEING LEFT IN HOT CAR OVERNIGHT: ‘A HUGE LOSS’

A Missouri police officer has been charged in the death of a K-9 officer who was left inside a hot car overnight earlier this summer. (Savannah Police Department)

An investigation determined that Horus had been left in the police vehicle by Ziegler after his shift ended and died from heat exposure, according to court documents.

FOX 4 reported that maximum temperature It was 90 degrees that day, with a minimum temperature of 70 degrees outside.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, research indicates that the temperature inside a vehicle The temperature can rise to over 100 degrees in half an hour, even if it is only 70 degrees outside.

In court documents, a witness told investigators he saw the deceased K-9 officer in the yard near the police vehicle that evening and described Zeigler as “freaking out” and yelling in disbelief that he thought he had brought the K-9 to the end of his shift.

SOUTH CAROLINA POLICE K-9 HERO DIES SAVING HUMAN TEAMMATES DURING SHOOTOUT WITH FUGITIVE SUSPECT, AUTHORITIES SAY

Police officers in a small Missouri town in Andrew County are mourning the death of their K-9 companion, Horus. (FOX 4/Savannah, Missouri Police Department)

A test was also conducted on Ziegler's vehicle after his alleged confession about Horus' death. His vehicle was parked outside in direct sunlight with the ignition off, and court documents state that when the interior temperature reached 90 degrees, the vehicle began to honk repeatedly, rolled down the rear windows and activated a fan.

This test was used to demonstrate that the AceK9 system inside the police vehicle was in working order and should have been manually turned off or disabled on June 20, contributing to Horus' death by removing a safeguard to prevent the tragedy, according to court documents.

A farewell ceremony was held Saturday to honor K-9 Officer Horus who served the community for more than three years.

LAS VEGAS POLICE K-9 UNDERGOES SURGERY AFTER BEING STABBED MULTIPLE TIMES BY SUSPECT

An anonymous donor has purchased a permanent headstone for Horus, the deceased Savannah Police K-9 officer. (Savannah Police Department)

The police department also released a statement on social media in July announcing that an anonymous donor had offered to purchase a tombstone for Horus.

“Thank you to our donor and Vanvickle Monuments for the headstone honoring our K9 Officer Horus,” the department wrote in a caption with images of the headstone.

A bill called Max's Law was recently signed by Governor Mike Parson, which increases penalties for injuring and killing animals by law enforcement.

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“These heroic animals risk their lives every day to protect the public and their human partners,” Republican Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer said in a previous statement. “The law should protect them.”

According to the Savannah Police Department website, Lt. Ziegler is still on the payroll.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Savannah Police Department for comment but has not yet received a response.