SPARTA, Wis. (WXOW) – A Monroe County Deputy is on administrative leave following the death of one of the sheriff’s office’s K9s.
The sheriff’s office said Wednesday that K9 Kolt died May 15 in Madison.
A statement from the sheriff’s office said that on May 10, Kolt suffered a heat-related injury. He was taken to a Sparta veterinary clinic but later transferred to VCA Animal Hospital in Madison. After several days of treatments, Kolt died of his injuries.
The sheriff’s office did not release any information describing the nature of the injuries or the circumstances surrounding about what took place that led to the injuries.
The statement said that there’s an investigation underway that’s looking into Kolt’s death. Monroe County has asked the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office for assistance. Those investigators are consulting with the Juneau County District Attorney’s Office about their findings.
As the investigation is taking place, a deputy was placed on administrative leave for what Monroe County said was “to ensure the effectiveness of the investigations.” The name of the deputy was not made available.
No additional information is being released at this time according to Monroe County until the investigations are complete.
The statement concludes, “We feel blessed by the service that Kolt provided to the Sheriff’s Office and communities through-out Monroe County. This situation has been very difficult for everyone and there is no doubt that this loss will have a lasting impact on Kolt’s handler and the Sheriff’s Office as a whole.”
