ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A police K-9 in Rowan County died of heat exhaustion in April, the Rowan County Sheriff's Office said Thursday, following a 3-month investigation. 

K-9 Kantor died on April 4 while his handler was off duty and out of town. A teenage family member left the dog in a car with air conditioning, but the car's engine shut off, the sheriff's office said. 

"We have concluded that this was simply a tragic accident," deputies said in a news release.

On April 4, Kantor was at home with two of the handler's family members, an adult and a 17-year-old. In the morning, the adult went to work and the 17-year-old stayed home with Kantor, deputies say. 

"At some point, Kantor became agitated and restless," deputies said. The 17-year-old put Kantor in the kennel in the patrol car in an attempt to calm him, started the engine, turned the air conditioning on and closed the door, according to deputies, which is a practice to reduce stress for a police K-9.

"At some point the engine of the vehicle shut off causing the heat level inside the vehicle to rise," the Rowan County Sheriff's Office says. The other family member returned home to find Kantor dead in the kennel of the handler’s patrol SUV.

Kantor's handler was about three hours away and on his way home at the time. 

"Our investigation revealed that at the time Kantor was placed in the vehicle, the air conditioning was running. The vehicle dealership has not been able to determine why the SUV’s engine shut off," deputies said. 

In the future, deputies say heat alarms on K-9 vehicles will be wired so they can be activated automatically when a K-9 is in a running vehicle. 

“These K-9s are not just working dogs, but also loved companions and close friends to the handlers and families they live with every day. The RCSO can replace Kantor, but the handler and his family will forever have the loss and void of his companionship and devotion," Sheriff Travis Allen said. "We here at the RCSO have taken steps and made policy changes to help avoid these tragic accidents in the future."