SAVANNAH, Missouri (KMBC) -- The city of Savannah has terminated a police lieutenant charged in connection with the death of K9 Horus.
The city confirmed that Lt. Daniel Zeigler’s employment was terminated this week.
Last week, the Missouri Attorney General’s office charged Zeigler with animal abuse.
Horus died on June 20 after being left in a police vehicle following an overnight shift, according to court documents.
The temperature reached 88 degrees Fahrenheit that day.
Documents indicate that Zeigler later informed his chief, Dave Vincent, about the situation.
Witnesses reported that Zeigler appeared distressed and took responsibility for the dog's death.
A follow-up functionality test of the vehicle revealed that the vehicle’s safety system, designed to prevent such incidents, had been manually deactivated, which contributed to Horus’s death.
Zeigler was charged following an investigation by the Missouri Highway Patrol.