On Wednesday, Junction City Police Department provided an update on the death of K9 Police Service Dog (K9 PSD) Vethos, who passed away while on duty Monday. K9 PSD Vethos was found unresponsive in a K9-equipped patrol vehicle.
Preliminary findings indicate the cause of death was heat exposure, according to Cadin Sanner, Junction City Police Department spokesperson.
On Tuesday, the Junction City Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) conduct an independent third-party investigation to determine all facts surrounding this incident. Junction City Police will cooperate fully with this investigation.
In accordance with departmental policy, Junction City Police placed K9 PSD Vethos’ handler on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Vethos, a Belgian Malinois, joined the department in 2024 and served in the Investigations Division. His loss continues to be felt deeply across JCPD and the City.