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Died – 7/8/23
Handler – Deputy Hunter Thompson
SCSO reports death of K9 Cain
The Saline County Sheriff’s Office has been mourning the recent loss of Cain, a K-9 who had served with the county since June 2021.“We’re devastated honestly, and kind of caught out of the blue on this one,” said Capt. Joseph Shamlin, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.Cain was found unresponsive in the back yard of home belonging to his handler, Deputy Hunter Thompson, on July 8.According to reports, Thompson came home that day after attending a birthday party at 4 p.m. and let Cain out of his indoor kennel to go outside for a while while the deputy took a shower before going to dinner. After approximately 25-30 minutes, Thompson saw Cain laying underneath his covered patio soaked in sweat and unable to get up. Cain was immediately taken to an emergency veterinary clinic on Cantrell Road in Little Rock. The temperature outside that day was approximately 85 degrees. However, the animal’s temperature was 109 when they arrived at the vet clinic. Later that night, Cain passed away.“We are very pro-police dog, we think they are very valuable assets,” said Shamlin.While Cain was in the vet’s care, they ran blood work and blood transfusions but his condition only worsened as the treatment was not working. Eventually, the decision was made to use euthanasia.The SCSO conducted an internal investigation and no signs of neglect or wrongdoing by the handler were found.“We’re trying to figure it out ourselves,” said Shamlin of the cause of Cain’s death.Photos of Thompson’s back yard revealed a shaded area, a water bowl and a kennel for Cain. Shamlin said they checked the backyard before assigning a K-9 to Thompson to see if it was suitable for a dog.“It is our belief due to the short time outside, the temperature being mild, approximately 85 degrees, with shade and water being provided, that he had an underlying health condition,” a release from the SCSO states.“We have nothing to show any kind of neglect whatsoever,” added Shamlin.On July 5, Thompson reported that Cain was having stomach issues and scheduled an appointment with the veterinarian. The vet advised that Cain was dehydrated and needed fluids, but advised the dog’s blood work looked good and that nothing seemed out of the ordinary other than Cain being dehydrated.Shamlin stressed that K-9s are more than just police dogs, they are friends and important members of the department.“These dogs are with their handlers 24/7,” Shamlin added. “They are with them at home and they are with them at work, so they form a close bond.” The SCSO plans to honor Cain with a plaque on a wall at the SCSO headquarters.Thompson become Cain’s handler after his previous handler left the department last year.Cain was assigned to Thompson in December of 2022 and the pair completed their training this past March. Shamlin said the department has no reason to believe Thompson is not fit to have another K-9 assigned and he has already expressed interest in doing so.
