- An independent investigation is being demanded by animal welfare organizations in Indiana following the deaths of multiple dogs.
- Last week, at least eight German Shepherds died and several others required medical attention after being transported in an overheated box truck.
- Advocates for animal welfare claim that the dogs’ owner, a police K-9 trainer, is receiving lenient treatment from the police.
Animal welfare organizations in Indiana are calling for an independent investigation into the tragic death of at least eight German Shepherds. The dogs died while being transported to a police training facility last week.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent a letter to Lake Station Mayor Bill Carroll, requesting a third-party investigation into the incident. The dogs overheated in the back of a box truck on a day when temperatures reached 91 degrees Fahrenheit.
“These dogs were transported in an extremely unsafe manner. The box truck they were in lacked proper ventilation and was not designed for transporting live animals. This incident highlights the lack of regulation in the industry that supplies canines to police departments nationwide,” said Daphna Nachminovitch, senior vice president of cruelty investigations at PETA, in an interview with Insider.
The Mayor’s office and the Lake Station Police Department have not responded to requests for comment.
The local Humane Society of Lake Station, which is contracted by the city, has expressed concerns about the handling of the case by the Lake Station Police Department. They believe the department is being too lenient towards the dogs’ owner, Michael McHenry, who is a K-9 trainer and former law enforcement officer.
Jennifer Webber, executive director of the Humane Society of Hobart, described a distressing scene where McHenry and the truck driver stopped at a gas station to treat the heat-exhausted dogs. Videos and photos of the incident have been reviewed by Insider.
Courtesy of Jennifer Webber.
“I witnessed at least 18 dogs suffering from heat stroke. They were exhibiting symptoms such as excessive salivation, vomiting, seizures, diarrhea, convulsions, and some were already dead. Despite offering our air-conditioned transport vehicles, McHenry refused our assistance,” shared Webber with Insider.
Normally, the Humane Society would take over the treatment of the animals upon arrival, as part of their contract with the city. However, on July 27, when they arrived at the scene, McHenry rejected their help, and the police officers present supported his decision.
“The owner began to verbally attack and prevent us from touching the dogs or transporting them in our vehicles. The police officer complied with his request, and more dogs died while our vehicles were running with the air conditioning on,” explained Webber.
Insider has made multiple attempts to contact Michael McHenry, but there has been no response.
Courtesy of Jennifer Webber.
In their letter to the mayor and city council of Lake Station, PETA has suggested that the police department should recuse themselves from the investigation. The organization claims that the police chief has a close relationship with the owner and operator of the company responsible for transporting the dogs.
Although the dogs were meant to become police dogs, they had not been assigned to a specific station or department yet, according to Police Chief James Richardson as reported by The New York Times.
“Lake Station had no affiliation with the business,” Richardson stated in response to the incident.
PETA has sent a representative to the police station to request body camera footage from the scene, but they were turned away. Insider is also waiting for a response to its records request.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
