K9 Canto

Canto

K9 Canto was killed when the police vehicle he was in caught fire due to an electrical malfunction.

K9 Canto and his handler, along with three other canine teams, responded to a silent alarm at a department store inside the Hulen Mall. Due to the other three canine teams having their dogs deployed already, K9 Canto was left inside the police vehicle with the engine running to keep the air conditioner on. As the other teams and K9 Canto's handler exited the mall they noticed that the vehicle's engine had stopped working and it was filled with smoke. Due to the vehicle's electrical system malfunctioning, officers broke the windows with their batons to rescue K9 Canto and requested a veterinarian on scene. The veterinarian and paramedics spent 45 minutes on the scene administering CPR and oxygen but K9 Canto was pronounced dead at 1:30 a.m.

A necropsy determined that K9 Canto died as a result of smoke inhalation. An investigation revealed the fire began in a wiring harness behind the vehicle's emergency brake.

K9 Canto served with the Fort Worth Police Department for four years.