Donations fund Alarm to Save Dogs

Sept. 29, 2004
Milk-Bone Brand Snacks and Tom Thumb Food Stores donated $6,000 to a police department in honor of a police dog who died last summer in a sweltering police car.

The Dallas Police Department received corporate help Tuesday to purchase a new police dog and an alarm system that alerts the dog's handler if the inside of the officer's vehicle has reached a dangerous temperature.

Milk-Bone Brand Snacks and Tom Thumb Food Stores together donated $6,000 to the department in honor of "Queno," the police dog who died last summer after being left in a sweltering police car.

The money will help pay for a replacement dog and to acquire the Premier Canine System, which helps prevent dogs from being left inside a dangerously hot car.

The companies hope to prevent another canine heat-related death, said Connie Yates, director of public relations for Tom Thumb.

"We are honored to do this for the police department because they do so much for the community," Yates said. "This is something we've done before and we think is great to show our appreciation to the police department."

The donation was announced at a Tom Thumb grocery store in north Dallas.

The Premier Canine System currently is placed in three vehicles, and Senior Cpl. Eric Jez, DPD's canine trainer, said the department needs to outfit eight more vehicles with the system.

Whenever temperature inside the patrol car reaches a dangerous level, the vehicle's rear windows automatically roll down and its alarm system is activated. The officer is also alerted through a pager.

The death of Queno is still being reviewed by the Dallas police department.