Police K-9 found dead in vehicle at Utah State Prison

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL.com) — The state is investigating whether the death of an Utah Department of Corrections K-9 found in a law enforcement vehicle is heat related.

Loki, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, “was found deceased in a K-9 vehicle at the Utah State Correctional Facility on Thursday evening,” according to a statement from the corrections department,

No other details about the incident — including how long the dog may have been in the vehicle before it was discovered — have been released. The State Bureau of Investigation has been asked to investigate the incident.

“Initial indications show it is likely heat related, but this is still being investigated. We currently believe the K-9 was found toward the end of the day, but a specific time hasn’t been determined. (The bureau’s) goal is to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation in order to provide accurate findings,” the agency said Friday in a prepared statement.

The high temperature at Salt Lake City International Airport, just east of the prison, was 97 degrees on Thursday afternoon.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of Loki, who served this department faithfully for six years,” said Utah Department of Corrections Executive Director Brian Redd. “We are mourning along with all of our staff and, at the same time, we are committed to fully investigating the circumstances of Loki’s passing.”

Loki started working with the department in 2017. He was used for “drug detection, fugitive apprehension, facility security and emergency response,” the department said.