A former Cache County sheriff’s officer was sentenced to probation and community service after his K-9, Endy, died after being left in a hot patrol truck in July.
Jason Whittier, 38, pleaded no contest in October to class B misdemeanor aggravated cruelty to an animal. At his Monday sentencing, 1st District Judge Thomas Willmore ordered Whittier to a year of probation and 100 community service hours.
The judge ordered that at least half of those community service hours must be spent working with a local animal shelter “on ways to inform the public about the dangers to animals and humans … being left in hot vehicles,” a court docket entry reads. Whittier is also required to submit a two-page summary of suggested policies or procedures that would prevent similar future incidents for law enforcement agencies.
Endy died of heat stroke after Whittier, his handler, left the dog in the truck on July 3, according to a Cache County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
Courtesy Cache County Sheriff's Office Endy the police dog died of heat exhaustion after being left unattended in a patrol vehicle.
About noon on July 3, Whittier parked his patrol truck at his home, in an area without shade, according to charging documents. Endy was still in the truck when Whittier left for family activities.
When Whittier got home around 11:30 p.m., he saw that Endy wasn’t in his outside kennel, and discovered the dog dead inside the truck, charges state.
(Photo courtesy Cache County Jail) Jason Whittier on Oct. 2 pleaded no contest to class B misdemeanor aggravated cruelty to an animal after he left his police dog, Endy, in a hot patrol truck in July.
Endy, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, had joined the sheriff’s office last year. Previously, he had been with the Logan Police Department and had been involved in law enforcement since 2010.
Whittier is no longer employed with the sheriff’s office, Sheriff Chad Jensen told the Logan Herald Journal is August.
Follow @jm_miller