When police dog Baron died from heat stroke on a hot summer day in June 2022, while locked in the RCIPS kennels, Constable Timothy Munroe was the only handler working.
At the time, he was new to the unit and had not received any in-depth training on how to spot and treat heat exhaustion for service dogs that were not on active duty, according to prosecution witness Constable Dale Parker.
Taking the stand on Friday, 7 July, Parker told the court that prior to Baron’s death, there were three service dogs and four handlers in the unit – an inspector, a sergeant, Parker himself and Munroe, who was still in his first month of training.
Munroe is on trial for one count of cruelty to an animal, which he denies. While he has not been charged with Baron’s death, he is alleged to have caused the animal unnecessary pain and suffering in its final hours.
“Because he was the only officer working, he would have been responsible for the welfare check of the dogs,” said Parker. “At that time, there wasn’t a roster that said who was responsible for the welfare checks and it was just whoever was working was responsible, and we all took turns.”
According to Parker, at the time of Baron’s death, the two most senior officers were on vacation and regular time off, while he was on sick leave due to a work-related injury.
On the day in question, Baron, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois shepherd mix, was left in the outside enclosure of the RCIPS’s kennels at the George Town Police Station compound.
“There is a small metal guillotine door that you use a chain or a rope to raise and lower to open and close it,” Parker told the court. “The gate is at the bottom of the concrete wall and allows the dogs to go back and forth from the outside part of the kennel to the inside part where there is AC.”
According to veterinarian Dr. Olivia Benjamin, Baron’s official cause of death was hyperthermia, or heat stroke, that occurred after the dog was left outside on a day when temperatures reached 104 degrees.
Under questioning by prosecutor Hema Soondarsingh, Parker told the court that each officer received theoretical and practical training, while bonding with their dogs.
“As part of the training, we learned that if the gums get really red or dark, that’s a sign of overheating and that the dog needs to take a break,” said Parker. “Another sign is if the dog begins to pant really aggressively and/or becomes restless, and, at that time, it would be on each handler to decide if the dog needs a break and how long that break should be before returning to work.”
Parker told the court that apart from that, there was no other training provided on assessing the dog’s temperature, adding that he was not aware of Munroe receiving any such training.
‘A minor mistake’
During his cross-examination of Parker, defence counsel Dennis Brady accepted that Munroe was the person who failed to bring K9 Baron into the enclosed portion of the kennel, but said that it was “a minor mistake that other officers must have made”.
Brady asked, “Were you aware that not only was the most junior officer left to run the entire department by himself, after only having arrived less than a month [ago], but on that fateful day he had worked an extended shift and wasn’t feeling well?”
“I agree that, yes, he was the most junior officer and, yes, he was left by himself, but I only found out that he had worked an extended shift and that he wasn’t feeling well when he called me to tell me that Baron was not responsive,” replied Parker.
Brady followed up by asking, “Surely you must have forgotten to bring in one of the dogs; after all, it’s a minor mistake that other officers must have made from time to time?”
In his response, Parker said, “No, I’ve never forgotten because it’s just part of the checks that you would do before you leave.”
The trial has been adjourned until 23 Aug., at which time the prosecution is expected to present CCTV evidence.
Munroe’s bail has been extended until then.
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