ELMORE COUNTY, Ala. — An Alabama K-9 officer will be buried this week after his death last week following a prison sweep at a correctional facility in Elmore County.
The dog, named Jake, fell ill, becoming immediately unresponsive after alerting on a substance at the Station Correctional Facility, WHNT-TV reported.
The ADOC issued a statement calling Jake one of the agency’s “best narcotics detection K9s” and the governor announced a commendation for the dog.
The substance was synthetic marijuana, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Jake, a K-9 officer since 2014, was first taken to a veterinarian, WHNT reported, then to the Auburn University Veterinarian Clinic, where he died Saturday after developing pneumonia and abnormal vital signs.
The investigation into the deadly substance is ongoing and authorities said they plan to prosecute anyone connected with the dog’s death.