San Diego city attorney says no payment to officer in dog death

San Diego City Atty. Michael Aguirre refused Monday to approve a $50,000 payment to a San Diego police officer whose police dog died of heat stroke after being left in a squad car.

The payment, endorsed by the City Council, was to be officer Paul Hubka's share of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by three officers alleging that they deserve extra pay for their duties as canine officers.

"I cannot justify payment of $50,000 to a police officer for care of an animal that he allowed to die under his protection," Aguirre said in a written statement.

Forest, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, died June 20 after being left in Hubka's squad car outside his home in Alpine as temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. A necropsy confirmed the dog died of heat stroke.

The county District Attorney is determining whether Hubka, a 22-year veteran of the Police Department, should be charged under a state law making it a crime to leave a dog in a closed car on a hot day. A similar charge against another canine officer ended in a hung jury in 2001.

Hubka's attorney says he may go to court to force the city to make the payment.

  Tony Perry, in San Diego

Comments

[Zaquesh Da Campos]

I applaud San Diego City attorney Aguirre for his refusal to award Paul Hubka of any payment.
He should be procecuted for the inhumane treatment and the preventable death of the police-dog. The dog was not just a dog, he was a police officer and his partner.
The dog was under his "care". Has anyone thought the dog was left in the vehicle to die was intentional since Hubka wasn't getting the money he thought he deserved?
There is no excuse for this dogs' suffering and death.
Paul Hubka should be procecuted for the death and never be allowed on the k-9 unit .

Z, Da Campos

[aito]

I completely agree with Zaquesh. It sounds to me like the officer in question let the police dog die because he wasn't getting extra compensation (pending his litigation). I can't imagine that anyone who can qualify for a driver's license or has sat in a car during the summer wouldn't realize that leaving anything that is living closed up in a car would have serious health and safety implications. I wonder how he will be held responsible?

Ghandi said "You can judge a society by how they treat their weakest members" (such as animals that are dependent on us for their care).