Donated Device Will Keep Maywood PD's K-9 From Overheating

MAYWOOD, NJ – Maywood police have received a new device to make sure its K-9 doesn’t overheat in the car on hot summer days.

Thanks to a donation from Capital K-9 Association, the department acquired a “Hot-N-Pop” monitoring system, which automatically opens the police cruiser’s windows and activates the siren and triggers the lights if the inside temperature reaches 90 degrees.

The K-9 officer also immediately receives an alert on his or her cell phone. If the handler doesn’t respond, the system alerts others.

The new lifesaving tool will be installed in the vehicle of Officer Christopher Nichols, who is the handler for Ryker, a one-year-old patrol dog.

When it’s 80 degrees outside, the inside of an enclosed vehicle can rise to 110 degrees in just 10 minutes. If a dog’s body temperature, which is normally between 92.5 and 102.5 degrees, increases to 105 or 105 degrees the animal is at risk for heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can cause brain damage or death, according to k9rescueme.com.

“We are thrilled that we will be working with this team to get K-9 Ryker the equipment to help keep him safe,” Capital K-9 Association said.

Capital K-9 Association is a New Jersey-based non-profit that aims to provide ballistic body armor and safety equipment for police K-9 units.

In a post on Facebook, the police department thanked Capital K-9 for its “generous donation” and for “helping to keep our dogs safe, as well as their handler.”