New Cumberland, WV – Hancock County Sheriff’s K9 Midas died in the line of duty from complications associated with heat stroke on his third anniversary of the day he joined the sheriff’s department.

“It is with great regret and sadness that I inform and announce the passing of K-9 Midas of the Hancock County Canine Unit,” the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a post on their official Facebook page on July 30.

The department explained that k9 Midas was on duty in his vehicle kennel when the police cruiser’s air conditioning unit failed.

Although the Hancock County Canine Unit’s vehicles are equipped with backup alarms that monitor the temperature in the police vehicle, and can open the back windows and activate a fan if the temperature gets too high, those failsafe measures did not perform as designed.

When his handler, Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Hoder returned to the vehicle and discovered K9 Midas in distress, he took immediate steps to save the police dog who had also become a family member, the sheriff’s department said.

Deputies attempted to lower K9 Midas’ body temperature by packing him in ice for the trip to the Town and Country Animal Hospital in Wheeling.

The Wheeling Police Department was notified of the emergency transport, and assisted deputies by meeting the transporting police vehicle with more ice at the city limits, the sheriff’s department’s press release said.

Initially, K9 Midas recovered after receiving emergency care at the veterinary clinic and the clinic sent positive updates to Deputy Hoder throughout the day.

But then as he began feeling better, K9 Midas became too active for his condition so the veterinarians had to sedate him so he would rest, the sheriff’s department explained.

Unfortunately, K9 Midas still managed to pull out his catheter which the clinic believed allowed a blood clot to be dislodged, and the dog died immediately.

K9 Midas was four years old, and would have celebrated his third anniversary of the day he was introduced to the sheriff’s department on the day he died, according to WTOV.

His partner, Deputy Hoder, is a 15-year veteran of the sheriff’s office with 11 years of experience as a police K9 handler, according to the department’s Facebook page.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Patrick Hoder in the loss of K9 Midas.