Dogs are some of the most loyal animals on Earth. They're our best friends. When trained properly, they also make exceptional aides across a range of different careers.
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Unfortunately, one New Jersey sheriff's sergeant didn't give his working dogs the respect they deserved. He's now been charged with "recklessly causing the death of two police dogs by leaving the pair in an overheating cop car," per The New York Post.
According to NJ.com, "Cody L. Henderson of the Salem County Sheriff's Office was arrested Tuesday following the deaths of K-9s Boomer, a 6-year-old springer spaniel, and Rip, a 4-year-old Belgian malinois."
Upon returning to his vehicle, the 41-year-old sergeant found the dogs dead in the police car. He did attempt to save them, taking them to a nearby animal hospital. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Cody had left both dogs alone in the K-9 vehicle for seven hours between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. The animals had no problem with ventilation.
"Sheriff's office surveillance footage and county key fob logs indicated that after parking his police vehicle, Henderson remained inside the courthouse for the seven-hour duration and did not check on the dogs," The New York Post continued.
The Sergeant Has Now Been Charged Following the Death of the K9 Dogs
Following the terrible incident, Cody has now been charged on multiple accounts. He's been hit with "two third-degree counts of purposefully, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury to a living animal by failing to provide necessary care, resulting in death," per The New York Post.
The sergeant was immediately placed on leave with pay. He has since been suspended pending the outcome of his case. Shockingly, Cody, who graduated from the K-9 training program in 2022, is the head of the agency's entire K-9 unit.
Given the nature of the incident, one would hope the K-9 unit finds a new head of department. After all, when in service, dogs are part of the team and should be treated as such.
Currently, there's no further information regarding the ongoing court case. More details will likely become available as the case progresses.
