Reggie, a 9-year-old service dog who specialized in drug location and criminal apprehension, was working in the Green River area with his handler Saturday night. The pair worked through the night and readied themselves for rest around 10 a.m. at an area motel, said Lt. Chris Simmons.

The officer allowed Reggie to exercise, gave the dog food and water and locked him inside the vehicle's kennel with the air conditioning running and the windows cracked according to policy, Simmons said.

Around 4 p.m., the officer was awakened by the motel's front desk personnel, who said another patron of the inn had noticed the dog in distress inside the stalled vehicle. In spite of the officer's efforts to cool the dog's core temperature with an ice bath and a veterinarian's attempt to rehydrate the dog, Reggie died at about 9 p.m.

"This is a total blow," Simmons said. "We're not only losing a member of our department, we're losing a very valuable tool."

With the temperature reaching 114 degrees Sunday, it did not take more than about 20 minutes from the time the vehicle overheated and shut down before the dog was in trouble, Simmons said.

The UHP has 11 canine officers. Reggie's death is the first of its kind since the statewide policing agency began its program in 1997. Initial cost of a police service dog can range between $5,000 and $10,000.

- Michael N. Westley