The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) has confirmed the recent deaths of two K-9 officers. According to DOC spokesman Jason Miller, K-9 Caesar passed away on July 3, and K-9 Justice died unexpectedly on May 24.
Sources familiar with the incidents tell First State Update that the July incident involving K-9 Caesar resulted from a faulty air conditioning unit at the kennel of James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna.
FSU has not independently confirmed those details and Miller did not provide specific details regarding the cause of K-9 Caesar’s death. We are awaiting a response to an email we have into the department asking for clarification.
The circumstances surrounding K-9 Justice’s death in May remain under investigation, as officials work to determine the exact cause, according to Miller.
These recent losses come after another incident that led to criminal charges against a corrections officer last year. The Delaware Department of Justice brought the charges after the learned that a four-year-old law enforcement K-9 named Lux died after being left in a vehicle in September 2022.
This is a developing story. Further updates are anticipated in the coming days.