Dogs’ heat deaths being taken ‘very seriously’ says top police officer

Sir Paul Stephenson said Scotland Yard was taking the matter “very seriously” and carrying out an internal disciplinary inquiry alongside the RSPCA investigation.

A police dog handler being investigated over the deaths threw himself from a colleague’s vehicle after the incident.

Sergeant Ian Craven, 49, flung himself from the car and was then declared a missing person, a source confirmed.

The officer was later found in Newham, east London, with hand injuries. He was still receiving medical treatment on Monday, police said.

Sir Paul, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said: “I’m very saddened by what’s happened and we are taking it very seriously.

“It’s very sad that this has happened.

“There’s an investigation going on. It’s being led by the RSPCA, with a separate internal disciplinary investigation going on in the force.”

Sgt Craven left two dogs, a working Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd puppy, in an unventilated car at the Met’s dog training centre in Keston, Kent, on Sunday.

He went to a meeting off-site and called colleagues to alert them when he realised the animals were trapped.

The Directorate of Professional Standards – a division of the Met that investigates complaints against officers – has also opened an inquiry into the deaths, which occurred as temperatures soared to as high as 29C (84.2F) in the South East.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “On Sunday June 26 at approximately 11am, staff at a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) building were alerted to two police dogs having been left in an unventilated private vehicle.

“Entry was forced to the vehicle and two MPS dogs, a working Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd pup, were found in a state of collapse. Both were taken to an emergency vet’s, where they subsequently died.”