Aug. 13, 2007 12:35 PM
A Chandler police dog died after his handler left him unattended in a hot patrol car, police said.

Sgt. Tom Lovejoy discovered the body of Bandit, his Belgian Malinois, Saturday.

After Lovejoy finished a duty assignment and returned home he unintentionally left Bandit in his patrol vehicle, police said. Lovejoy found Bandit in the car later that day. A preliminary investigation shows the dog died from extreme heat.

This incident is under investigation. Police have not released information about Lovejoy's status or what disciplinary action he may face.

Two other Valley police departments also lost K-9 dogs earlier this year - one in a similar incident.

In March, a Phoenix police dog was rushed to a veterinarian after being left in an unmarked police vehicle without ventilation. Authorities said the car was idling at the time, but the air-conditioning may have malfunctioned.

The handler and clinic employees decided to euthanize Top, a 5-year-old black Labrador, the following day.

The same month the Mesa Police Department had a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois die while the dog was chasing a suspect after the dog was struck by a vehicle on Main Street near Lindsay Road.