🔴Two Salem County Sheriff’s Office K-9s died in their handler’s SUV
đź”´Investigators said the dogs were left for hours in a non-air-conditioned vehicle
đź”´Sgt. Cody Henderson has been suspended as Rip and Boomer are mourned
SALEM — The officer in charge of two Salem County Sheriff’s Office K-9s has been charged with their death after leaving them alone in his non-air-conditioned vehicle for 7 hours.
Sgt. Cody Henderson found his dogs — Rip, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Boomer, a 6-year-old springer spaniel — unconscious in his police vehicle on May 29 while he was on duty. He brought them to a veterinarian in Delaware, where they were pronounced dead. Their cause of death was likely hyperthermia/heat stroke.
New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said May 29 was a sunny day with temperatures reaching the upper 70s by afternoon.
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Following an investigation by the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, Henderson was charged with:
- 2 counts of purposely, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury to a living animal by failing to provide the living animal with necessary care, resulting in death.
- Infliction of unnecessary cruelty upon a living animal by leaving the living animal unattended in a vehicle under inhumane conditions
- Failure to provide the living animal with necessary care
- Unlawful cruel restraint of a dog in a manner that exposes the dog to adverse environmental conditions for more than 30 minutes.
Officials said Henderson had arrived at his office in Salem County around 8:30 a.m. in his Chevrolet Tahoe. The SUV did not leave its parking spot all day and was in view of Henderson…