Jul 23, 2025

Former officer sentenced after police K9 died in a hot car

Posted Jul 23, 2025 12:00 AM
K-9 Horus courtesy photo
K-9 Horus courtesy photo

By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post

A former Savannah, Missouri police officer has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in the death of his police dog and has been placed on probation.

Daniel Zeigler has been placed on two-years probation, sentenced to a weekend in jail, and fined $5,000 in the death of K-9 Horus.

Zeigler, who had been a police lieutenant, was charged after leaving Horus in a hot patrol car June 20, of last year. An investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol determined Horus died of heat exhaustion. The report also found a safety measure in the car that could have prevented the death had been disabled.

The Savannah Board of Alderman fired Zeigler in wake of the police dog’s death.