It’s crucial now more than ever to keep an eye out for dogs left in hot automobiles because summer is still going strong and temperatures are rising to record levels in many places.
Dogs who are left in hot cars will not survive for long due to their severe susceptibility to heat stroke. Accidents can still occur even if you believe you have done all the necessary safety measures to avert catastrophe.
That was the unfortunate situation that occurred recently when a police department K9 was left in a hot car without air conditioning and without emergency procedures in place, leading to his death.
Vader, a 4-year-old K9 with the Arnold Police agency in Missouri, passed away on July 31 from heat exhaustion, according to a press release from the agency.
Vader was left in a running patrol car with the air conditioner running, according to the department, which referred to this as a “necessary and common practice” for K9s who are not actively participating in police operations.
Officers found that the air conditioning system had broken down when they got back inside the car.
The police added that although all of their K9 patrol cars have a failsafe mechanism that sounds the horn, pulls down the windows, warns the handler, and triggers the alarms and sirens if the vehicle reaches a particular temperature, this emergency backup “failed to activate.”
After being taken to the veterinary facility in a hurry, Vader appeared to be improving, but he eventually passed away.
The Arnold Police Department posted, “Unfortunately, we learned last night that there were no further treatments available for Vader and he succumbed to his injuries.”
“Investigating this tragedy to determine what went wrong,” the department wrote in a letter. They also requested that people remember Vader’s handler and his family in their prayers and expressed their sorrow over his passing.
Understandably, the public has been devastated by the news and has experienced strong emotions; many have wondered if more might have been done to avert this disaster.
On Facebook, someone said, “Take the dog with you, just like a child. Common practice needs to change.”
For that reason alone, another person remarked, “These dogs should never be left in a car for an extended period of time, running or not.” “I know it was an accident, but nobody else should have to go through this.”
Others recommended enhancing or testing the emergency heat alarm system of the cars more frequently because it did not sound.
Vader is sadly not the only police dog to pass away after being left in a hot car; sadly, this happens frequently due to either officer negligence or—in this case—a malfunctioning air conditioner and backup system.
Horus, a second Missouri police dog, also passed away after being left in a hot car overnight, a few days before Vader did.
It is terrible that police dogs could suffer and even perish from a hot car since they put their lives in danger for their communities. Although emergency warnings and air conditioning are features of patrol cars, it is obvious that these devices are not infallible.
We hope that Vader’s untimely passing and the deaths of all the other K9 victims will spur more measures to safeguard their lives. 
Star college gymnast, 21, shot dead in off campus home, 23-year-old boyfriend arrested
Loved ones are completely shattered by the “heartbreaking” death of Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old star gymnast, who was shot to death by a man identified by college friends as her boyfriend.
The national champion was found dead in her off-campus apartment on August 30, and a friend of the couple says he “beats” himself up for not sharing “just one more” moment that maybe “could change” what happened.
Keep reading to learn about Welsh’s tragic death.
On Saturday August 31, Sierra Brooks learned Kara Welsh, her best friend and former teammate, was shot to death the night before.
“I can’t even wrap my head around how someone could do this, let alone to such a beautiful person,” she writes in a tribute to the 21-year-old Welsh, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) student who was majoring in business and economics.
Welsh, a gymnast, also won an individual title on the vault in 2023.
According to a statement, the student, from Plainfield, Illinois, was found dead in an off-campus apartment about 11:54 p.m. on August 30.
She was shot multiple times.
When police arrived, a 23-year-old male who was known to Welsh was also in the home and “it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two.”
‘Heartbreaking’
“Absolutely heartbreaking to receive a phone call like this one. Kara, you deserved the world and more,” shares Brooks, who in her earlier years trained with Welsh at the Aspire Gymnastics Academy. “Wish I could just see you one more time. Wish I could laugh with you just one more time. Wish I could hug you one more time.”
Aspire also shared several photos of the star gymnast along with a touching tribute for the young woman on their Facebook site.
“As Kara grew, so did Aspire. She was a constant in a sport that is filled with ups and downs. She was full of life and full of personality,” the training center writes. “Kara had a way of communicating through facial expressions that was second to none. Aspire lost a piece of its heart today. Kara, we love you.”
Corey King, chancellor at UWW, released a statement on August 31 and calling Welsh “a standout member of the Warhawk gymnastics team,” he shares that “news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community.”
“I hate that evil touched this sweet girl’s life,” writes a friend on Facebook, who shares the tribute posted by Aspire. Referring to Welsh’s sister Kaeli, the netizen continues, “The Welsh girls showed us how to be gym sisters but so much more. Kara was all heart. The loss is unfathomable.”
‘I beat myself up’
Police have not yet released the name of the suspect as he has not yet been officially charged.
But friends reveal the pair were dating, and the man, identified as Chad Richards, was helping Welsh move into her apartment.
“Sometimes I beat myself up, if I was able to see them that day maybe…just one more joke one more memory we could make…could change…” says Brayten Wilkerson, a friend of both Welsh and the suspect, who was a member of UWW wrestling team. Speaking with ABC affiliate WISN, Wilkerson continues, “Kara was a sweetheart. She was one of the best people you could meet. Her family did a great job raising her – a wonderful woman.”
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