A three-year-old K-9 veteran of the Mount Holly Police department died on Wednesday.
Patton, a dog specially trained to detect explosives, died after being left in a hot car for an extended period of time, an anonymous source told The Trentonian.
The New Jersey SPCA is investigating.
“We’ll draw some type of conclusion concerning the dog’s death,” said SPCA spokesman Matt Stanton.
The SPCA plans to interview Officer Kara McIntosh, Patton’s handler, about the dog’s death. Officer McIntosh was a member of the force for three years when she was assigned to Patton. She would often take Patton home with her, even when she was off-duty, the Trentonian reported.
The four-year old Golden Retriever was worth over $100,000 because of his training and the specialized vehicle used to transport the K-9 officer and the dog, the source added.
On Wednesday, Police Chief Steven Martin confirmed that Patton died, but did not release any other details.
Patton was rescued in 2006 from an animal shelter when he was 1½.
