Politics
A Sheriff’s Sergeant Faces Eight Animal Cruelty Charges After Two K-9s Were Found Dead in His Car
By Mike Harper · July 9, 2026
The vehicle was a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe assigned to the Salem County Sheriff’s Office. The engine was off. The windows were closed. The emergency heat alarm system was off. The air conditioning had a known defect. Inside the car were two dogs — K-9 Officer Rip, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, and K-9 Officer Boomer, a 6-year-old Springer Spaniel. They were in there for seven hours.
Sgt. Cody Henderson, 41, a K-9 handler with the Salem County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Tuesday and charged with eight counts of animal cruelty after prosecutors determined he left the two dogs unattended in his patrol vehicle from approximately 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM on May 29 while he worked inside the Salem County Courthouse. He found both dogs dead when he returned to the car.
The high temperature in Salem County that day was 81 degrees. The temperature inside a closed car at that ambient temperature reaches 120 to 125 degrees within one hour, according to NBC10’s weather team. The dogs were inside for seven.
A necropsy performed by the New Jersey Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed what the circumstances made obvious: both dogs died of hyperthermia — heatstroke.
Prosecutors said investigators found no evidence that any vehicle malfunction or equipment failure contributed to the deaths. The K-9 Heat Alarm “Hot-N-Pop” device — an emergency system designed to alert handlers when interior temperatures become dangerous — was not activated. Indoor kennels were “immediately available” at the courthouse and were not used. Henderson chose to leave the dogs in the car.
Henderson was charged with two counts of purposely, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury to a living animal by failing to provide necessary care, resulting in death — a third-degree crime in New Jersey carrying three to five years in prison. He faces six additional counts including inflicting unnecessary cruelty and unlawful restraint exposing animals to adverse environmental conditions.
He has been placed on unpaid leave. His court date is July 30.
“The Salem County Sheriff’s Office remains deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our K-9 partners, Rip and Boomer. These exceptional canines dedicated their lives to serving and protecting the residents of Salem County and were valued members of our law enforcement family. Their contributions to public safety and their commitment to duty will not be forgotten.”
Rip was four years old. Boomer was six. They were trained working dogs who trusted their handler to bring them inside. He didn’t.