At least 8 dogs die from heat stroke when air conditioning fails in truck: NW Indiana authorities

[SouthBayDem]

Source: NBC5 Chicago (WMAQ)

At least eight dogs died from heat stroke and multiple others were rushed to veterinary hospitals on Thursday after an air conditioning unit malfunctioned while they were being taken to a training facility in Michigan, according to authorities.

The situation unfolded at around 7:40 p.m., when the driver of a box truck was bringing 18 shepherds from O'Hare International Airport to a K-9 training facility, according to the Humane Society of Hobart. Lake Station police, which were called to investigate the incident, said the temperature began rising after an AC unit in the cargo area stopped working when the vehicle became caught in traffic for two hours. With the cargo area separated from the driver, he didn't immediately realize what was happening until some of the dogs started barking, police said.

The driver subsequently stopped at the Road Ranger gas station on Ripley Street in Lake Station, just south of Interstate 94. He entered the cargo area, police said, saw that canines were in distress and began removing those that had been placed in crates. While passersby stopped to help, calls were made to 911, resulting in a response from police, firefighters and EMS personnel.

The Humane Society of Hobart, the contracted provider for animal care and control services in Lake Station, issued a statement, criticizing Lake Station police for not following protocol and allowing the truck driver to leave with some of the animals without securing the vehicle - in violation of municipal code - and prior to the completion of an investigation.

Full story: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/lake-station-indiana-dogs-die-heat-stroke-exhaustion/3196470/

[Jerryatric]

1. This is a local story for me. I know some of the people

who tried to rescue those poor dogs. It says there were eight that died, but now it's nine. Whoever owns those dogs is not getting the ones who are still in the hospital back, according to facebook posts by the humane society.

[shrike3]

3. Local story for me, as well. Just awful.

I'll bet I know which training facility it was, too.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

2. Sgt McKenzie made things worse, was going to let the owner get away with it. lead to more dog deaths

Jenny Webber, the humane society's executive director, explained that she responded to the scene, where she met with Sgt. McKenzie of the Lake Station Police Department and began to explain protocol. The sergeant said what occurred was simply a mistake and that the owner of the dogs was going to handle the situation, at which point Webber asked if the owner had valid vaccination records, permitted health certifications to establish safe temperatures for transport and a certified veterinary license to transport across state lines, according to the humane society.


"I stated that it appeared he was not in compliance with several of our codes and that we should seize all pets, transport medical patients to emergency care, do an investigation and return the animals once compliance was proved and fines and fees paid," Webber wrote. "This made the owner very mad."

The owner was derogatory and belligerent and then said he didn't want anyone from the humane society to touch his dogs, according to the executive director. Webber explained that McKenzie complied with the owner's request, while multiple vehicles with air conditioning stood by to transport additional dogs. As a result of the delay, she stated, more lives were lost.

Seven dogs were taken to veterinary hospitals by ambulances instead of the vehicles waiting to transport them, according to Webber. She said that several of the animals had to be euthanized due to heat stroke, and in total, estimated that between 8 and 11 dogs died.

Webber said she then informed the police sergeant that the remaining four dogs on scene were in need of medical attention, but he permitted the owner to continue transporting those dogs and a number of those that had already died.

[Jerryatric]

4. Everyone around here is furious about this.

If any one of us had left a dog to die in a hot vehicle, we'd be in jail. That guy got to drive away, in an unsafe truck, with dog crates piled on top of each other, not secured, and with five dogs and leave all the other sick dogs in two local animal hospitals. This isn't over, there's going to be a battle over those dogs when they get well, I'm sure.

[Jerryatric]

5. The word is that the driver of that truck is an Elkhart, Indiana

police officer. That's why he got to drive away and leave the dogs.

[shrike3]

7. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[SamKnause]

6. Fucking cops.