WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a Kansas game warden’s dog died when the handler’s patrol vehicle stalled and an emergency system that’s designed to turn on fans and lower windows if the cabin gets too hot wasn’t engaged.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism called the Aug. 6 death of the Labrador retriever named Tibbie a “tragic incident” after an investigation was completed Friday.
The agency says the handler left Tibbie locked in the patrol vehicle with the engine running as the game warden “conducted business that did not require K-9 assistance.”
The investigation “determined the game warden had not checked that the heat-alarm system was in working order” that day. The agency says it’s making changes to prevent something similar from happening again.