gulf shores officer leaves his dog in hot car

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A police dog died as a result of being left in a hot patrol car, according to GSPD spokesman Sgt. Jason Woodruff. The three-year-old dog was left inside an officer's car on Thursday, June 18 during a hurricane preparation conference in Gulf Shores. "Mason's handler Corporal Josh Coleman forgot that Mason was still in the back seat of his patrol car. On discovering Mason's absence Cpl. Coleman located him in the vehicle," the statement read. No criminal charges will be filed but the city and the department have taken action against Coleman. Mason was photographed at the Hurricane Preparedness Expo on Thursday, inside of a building. Officer Mason was immediately transported to a veterinarian for care upon discovery but died on Friday, June 19 of heat-related causes. Mason was a "community engagement officer." "Mason was not an enforcement K-9. Enforcement K-9's spend a good deal of time in their handler's vehicles, so those vehicles are equipped with remote heat alarms, water bowls., and other protective measures. Because Mason's duties did not include long periods in a vehicle, those protective measures were not available in his handler's car," Woodruff wrote. The department had just celebrated the dog's birthday. Woodruff also issued a word of caution to the community. "This situation has been devastating for Cpl. Coleman and his family and we hope that they are able to work through their understandable emotions. This is a tragic occurrence that has left the entire organization mourning a terrible loss," Woodruff said said. "It also illustrates how easy it is to become distracted, and how quickly heat can affect those that we love that are particularly vulnerable to it. Please keep this in mind when transporting children, pets, or the elderly," he said.

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