The public prosecutor’s office in Korneuburg is bringing charges of animal cruelty against the official, media spokesman Josef Mechtler confirmed on Tuesday afternoon in a report by ORF Lower Austria.
The dog handler stated that he had health problems on the way home from the jog. The animals – the official’s Belgian shepherd, a colleague’s Malinois service dog and two private four-legged friends – were therefore locked in the car for a long time, according to the public prosecutor.
The incident happened in mid-August. A pathological finding from the University of Veterinary Medicine subsequently revealed, according to the State Police Directorate, that the dogs “very likely died from overheating of acute cardiovascular failure (heat stroke)”. D
he officials and the colleague have now been assigned to other departments. They would not be used as police service dog handlers until further notice, according to the authority.
Source: Nachrichten
