Conviction for unnecessary suffering carries penalty of up to six months in jail and £20,000 fine

A police dog handler who left two alsatians to die in a car during the recent heatwave could face up to six months in jail and a £20,000 maximum fine after the RSPCA confirmed today it would prosecute the case.

The animal welfare organisation said the unnamed officer would be charged with causing unnecessary suffering to the animals, which were left in a vehicle outside Nottinghamshire police headquarters on 30 June, yards from new £300,000 kennels housing the force’s dog unit.

Temperatures that day reached 28C in Nottingham and by the time the handler returned to the car the dogs had died.

“The RSPCA can confirm that following the deaths of two police dogs in Nottinghamshire on 30 June legal proceedings will be brought against a Nottinghamshire police officer for causing unnecessary suffering to the two animals,” an RSPCA spokesman said.

A magistrates court summons is due to be served against the officer after the case was assessed by the charity’s prosecution department, the spokesman said. A conviction under the Animal Welfare Act would mean the handler could be banned from keeping animals.

Nottinghamshire police said the officer, who has been on compassionate leave, had been suspended. “An internal inquiry is also continuing,” a spokeswoman said.

The RSPCA said it received about 200 calls a day about dogs in hot cars or gardens without shade during the heatwave three weeks ago. The police officer’s case is the only prosecution to result, the spokesman said.

It is understood the two dogs lived with their handler, who was described as experienced by colleagues.

Nottinghamshire police only recently started breeding its own dogs and the animals that died were given to the force by the Dog Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity.

After news of the deaths emerged, chief superintendent Ak Khan said the officer concerned was “absolutely devastated” by what happened.

The RSPCA said at least three other dogs had died after being left in cars during the heatwave, two in the Highlands and one in West Sussex. It took only 20 minutes for dogs to die in a car during hot weather as temperatures could exceed 40C.

The RSPCA’s chief veterinary adviser, Mark Evans, said: “Leaving your dog in a car, even on an average warm, even cloudy summer day, can put your pet at huge risk of suffering and even death.”This is not a new warning, but sadly too many people still don’t appreciate how dangerous it can be to leave a dog in a hot car, conservatory or caravan.”