Deputy Charged After Pair of K9s Left in His SUV Die

A New Jersey K9 sergeant is facing criminal charges after two police dogs died in his parked SUV. Prosecutors say Salem County Sheriff's Sgt. Cody L. Henderson left Rip, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Boomer, a 6-year-old Springer Spaniel, in his police vehicle from about 8:30am to 3:30pm on May 29 with the engine off, windows closed, and no heat-alarm system activated, reports CBS News. The dogs were found dead around 3:30pm, and a necropsy concluded they likely died of heat stroke.

With a high of 81 degrees that day, the temperature inside a closed car could have reached well above 120 degrees within an hour, reports NBC News. Henderson, now on unpaid leave, is charged with animal cruelty, failure to provide care, unlawful restraint in extreme conditions, and recklessly causing injury to animals. He's due in Salem County Court on July 30. In a social media post, the sheriff's office called Rip and Boomer "valued members" of its force and said it is referring further comment to prosecutors.