On July 7, 2016, a drug-detecting dog named Totti was left inside a hot vehicle for over two hours after a training exercise at the Rockview State Correctional Institution.  Sadly, Totti, a 2-year-old yellow lab, succumbed to the injuries sustained from being locked in the hot car.  While an investigation into the matter is pending, I believe that we can do more to prevent similar incidences in the future.
 
On July 21, 2016, my local news station aired a segment about police departments that utilize K-9 heat detection devices in police vehicles in order to ensure the safety of police dogs.  When the inside of the vehicle reaches a certain temperature, these heat detection systems sound an alarm and the car horn, and automatically lowers the winders.  At a cost of around $900, I believe these machines are a reasonable safety measure that can prevent the loss of a trained police dog, which costs approximately $20,000.
 
Join me in supporting this legislation that would require any emergency vehicle transporting a K-9 officer to be equipped with a K-9 heat-detection device.  It will ensure the continued safety of our K-9 protectors.