Investigations into the death of a Coalinga police dog continue

COALINGA, Calif. (KFSN) – The investigation into the loss of a Coalinga Police dog is ongoing.

Nitro was competent and assisted in several arrests related to drug offenses.

He died on Monday and tonight there are questions about what role our dangerous heat played and whether enough is being done to protect these animals.

The Coalinga police chief says the investigation is still ongoing.

Today we learned that they have brought in an outside agency to help.

While they try to find out the cause of death, they also want to honor Nitro.

“It’s a tragedy to lose a team player because Nitro was part of the family, part of the team, so it’s a big loss,” said Coalinga Police Chief Jose Garza.

Nitro was a mix of German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois. He was found lethargic in his outdoor kennel early Monday morning.

His handler tried to cool him down and then rushed him to the emergency room, where he died.

Police are awaiting an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.

The response to this story from our Action News viewers has been overwhelming.

Many of you have asked via our social media posts how long the dog was left outside during our dangerous heatwave and how he was able to cool down in his outdoor kennel.

We put these questions to the boss and received the following answer:

“I can’t say anything about the kennel, the time or the place, but I want to assure the public that we are conducting the investigation and awaiting the reports,” said Police Chief Garza.

According to the agency’s policy, dogs must be kept outdoors but can be brought indoors for socialization.

A law enforcement expert says police departments trust their dog handlers to do what’s best for their partner.

“The handlers’ job is essentially to protect the health of the dogs. They have to have an exercise area for the dogs, a place to hide, not just something cool,” says Bruce Thomas, a law enforcement expert.

It is expected to take weeks to prepare a report on the death.

The International Police K9 Association says this is normal.

“I would like to ask the public for patience,” says Rob Havice, president of the International Police Canine Association.

“Wait until the test results come in. Let the department do their investigation. They’ll get to the bottom of it and find out.”

However, the boss says there could be consequences.

He says if the investigation reveals misconduct or negligence, the dog handler could be punished.

The chief also said they would update their K9 policies and procedures if the investigation determined it was necessary.

Nitro will be honored and welcomed to the community in the coming weeks.

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