A sheriff's deputy in Salem County, New Jersey, faces criminal charges after two police dogs died from heatstroke when they were left in a closed patrol vehicle for roughly seven hours on 29 May 2026.
Cody Henderson, a K-9 handler with the Salem County Sheriff's Office, left the dogs without ventilation from about 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on a day the outdoor temperature reached 27°C, with interior cabin temperatures estimated to have exceeded 50°C within an hour. A necropsy confirmed that Rip, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois narcotics detection dog, and Boomer, a six-year-old Springer Spaniel trained in explosives detection, died of hyperthermia.
Henderson has been charged with eight counts, including animal cruelty, failure to provide care, and unlawfully restraining an animal in dangerous conditions. He has been placed on unpaid leave and is scheduled to appear in Salem County Court on 30 July.