TWO police dogs have died after being left inside a vehicle parked outside Nottinghamshire police headquarters on one of the hottest days of the year.
It is believed the dogs' handler was not on duty at the time and had called in to the force's headquarters at Sherwood Lodge, leaving the dogs to over-heat in the parked car, reported Reuters.
It is not known how long they were left in the car but temperatures in Nottingham on Wednesday hit 29.4 deg C.
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According to UK's Met Office website, the mean summer temperature from 1971 to 2000 is 14.1 deg C, the same as 2007.
The force said the German shepherds were discovered at Sherwood Lodge headquarters in Arnold on Tuesday.
According to the Press Association, the dogs were donated to carry out police work, including tracking down criminals and providing security at major events in the county.
The case has also been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
'This is a tragic incident and we value the important work our police dogs carry out on a daily basis,' said Assistant Chief Constable Peter Davies.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was now investigating the incident.
The Dogs Trust, UK's largest dog welfare charity, said it was 'saddened' by the news.
A spokesman said: 'While the cause of death is still to be determined, the charity would like to remind dog owners and police dog handlers that leaving your dog locked in a car can prove fatal, particularly during a heatwave.'
The spokesman added that it can take just 20minutes for a dog to die and temperatures reach over 40 deg C in some vehicles.
A vet is carrying out post-mortems to establish how the animals died.
Dehydration is likely to have been a significant factor.
The Times Online reported that temperatures are set to soar even though the past month had already been the hottest, driest and sunniest month since July 2006, according to records.
The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in prison and a £20,000 ($48,000) fine.
Nottinghamshire Police said the handler has not been suspended.
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