On a sweltering day in Georgia last month, a police K9 named for the state she worked in died on the job. A deputy reportedly left her in a patrol car for “an unacceptable amount of time.”

The air conditioning unit in the vehicle failed. So did the heat alarm that was supposed to prevent such a tragedy.

Baking to death in a hot car is a horrific way to die. Despite being completely preventable, it’s among the top causes of death for dogs used by police departments. Dogs cannot sweat like humans do, and Georgia surely panicked. Vomited. Convulsed.

And then died alone and helpless as her organs shut down.Dogs don’t enlist, sign up or agree “to protect and serve.” Instead, they’re drafted and used as tools in a system that puts them at risk without their consent. And many K9s pay for it with their lives.

Georgia’s handler was fired, but........

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