A FAMILY is mourning and a vehicle is undergoing extensive examinations after two police dogs tragically died when their air conditioning failed.
Police dog Xtra, who had been with his handler for six years, and 15-month-old development dog Soldier were found unresponsive in a purpose-built pod in a police car during a training day in South Sydney on Thursday.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told media on Friday she was confident there had been no human error involved.
"The vehicle has been towed for examination to check for any mechanical, technical or other engineering-type problem," she said.
An extensive investigation is under way but early indications show the engine in the specialised vehicle stopped running, cutting off air conditioning to the pod.
Police are working to understand why.
The police dog vehicles are modified so that they can be locked and left for periods of time with the engine on and air conditioning flowing to dogs in the back.
Commissioner Webb said the loss was a devastating blow to the dog squad and the handler involved.
"He, as you can imagine, is devastated," she said.
"He had the very difficult task of going home yesterday afternoon to inform his wife and two children about the passing of the two dogs.
"The dogs reside with the family, they are part of that family and with the officer 24/7."
Commander of the Police Transport and Public Safety Command, Assistant Commissioner Stephen Hegarty, told media police dog Xtra and his handler were well-known in the Hunter.
"They are known as the crook catchers up there," he said.
"The amount of work that he has done over his time, for community safety, is phenomenal."
The pair have been partners since 2018, with Soldier a more recent addition to the family.
Assistant Commissioner Hegarty said the dogs were exercised then it appeared the motor vehicle was operating correctly at 10.30am when it was parked in a shady area with other police dog cars at the training facility.
The handler was in lectures for two hours and went out to check on the dogs at about 12.30pm.
They were found unresponsive and the air conditioning had ceased.
The dogs were rushed to a specialist veterinary clinic but could not be revived.
Assistant Commissioner Hegarty confirmed an alarm was going off but could not confirm for how long, and when police went down to the vehicles, it was sadly too late.
The "top of the range" police vehicles with the purpose-built pods were designed for dogs to be left in them for periods of time and two hours was not against processes or training, he said.
He said the motor vehicle at the centre of the investigation had been towed for examination.
Assistant Commissioner Hegarty confirmed short-term processes had been put in place while the cause of the deaths was investigated.
He said police would look at what long-term strategies could be put in place after the vehicle had been examined.
The investigation into the deaths will be overseen by detectives from Sutherland Police Area Command and Fleet Services.
Support services have been wrapped around the dog squad as it grapples with the loss.
A Newcastle City Police District spokesperson said on Friday that local officers joined their colleagues in mourning the loss of Xtra and Soldier.
"Their contribution to the NSW Police Force, like all our police dogs, has been incredible," the spokesperson said.
"Our thoughts are with their handler and the wider Police Dog Unit family."
