BANGOR, Maine — An investigation is underway after the state’s first official comfort dog, Baxter, was found dead inside a state vehicle.
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Baxter’s death was ruled accidental after he was found dead inside a state vehicle, our sister station Boston 25 reported.
Baxter, a 3-year-old chocolate lab, joined the Maine Bureau of Emergency Communications in 2022 as the state’s first official comfort dog, officials said.
“The state vehicle, in which Baxter was regularly transported, is undergoing a thorough inspection to identify potential malfunctions that may have led it to unexpectedly stop running, which caused the vehicle’s air conditioning to cease operating,” officials said.
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The department is mourning his loss.
“As a comfort dog, Baxter’s mission was to help improve the mood and well-being of first-line responders in Maine’s three emergency communication centers; his calming and cheerful presence will be deeply missed by all those who interacted with him,” officials said in their statement.
“The Department extends its deepest condolences to Baxter’s handler and his family, as well as the entire emergency telecommunication team,” officials said.
Police and animal advocates routinely urge all pet owners not to leave their pets inside their vehicles for any amount of time.
The interior of a vehicle can rapidly become hot in a short amount of time, which can lead to serious injury or death to an animal.
“ON A WARM DAY, the temperature in a car can exceed 120° in a matter of minutes—even with the windows partially open,“ according to The Humane Society of the United States. ”Your pet can quickly suffer brain damage or die from heatstroke or suffocation."
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