The Worth County District Attorney has asked the GBI to investigate the death of a police dog found dead inside an officer’s vehicle, the GBI said Tuesday.
Sasha, a 10-year-old Dutch Shepherd, was found dead Sept. 3 inside the Chevrolet Tahoe belonging to her handler, Lt. T.J. Frye of the Warwick Police Department. Frye returned home from a three-day trip and found the animal dead inside the police vehicle. He later buried Sasha in his own yard.
Frye later resigned from the department, but has not faced any criminal charges for the dog’s death. Inside the vehicle were signs that Sasha fought to escape, including ripped seat belts, scratches on the windows and a broken rear-view mirror, according to a Warwick Police Department report.
Frye’s home is outside of the Warwick city limits and falls within the Worth County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. But the sheriff has declined to investigate the case, DA Paul Bowden told the AJC.
“I sent the sheriff a letter requesting that he do that,” Bowden said. “In response to that, apparently he called the GBI.”
Bowden said he then sent a letter to the GBI requesting the agency conduct an investigation.
Sasha’s death has led to an outcry from citizens and groups such as the Georgia Humane Society, which has said the animal’s remains should be exhumed so that a necropsy can be performed.
“It was negligence,” Joan Weatherford Sammond, president of the Georgia Humane Society, previously told the AJC. “How do you leave your dog in the car, in the hot August sun in Georgia?”
The owner of an Atlanta-based pet funeral home told the AJC her company will handle funeral arrangements for Sasha, once any investigation into the dog's death is complete. Deceased Pet Care Funeral Homes and Crematories offers discounted rates for K-9 funerals and services, owner Donna Shugart-Bethune said.
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