The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday announced with sadness the death of “Koda”, a police dog who has served with the agency since February of this year.

A Belgian Malinois is a breed similar in appearance to a German Shepard.

According to Captain Tim Edwards, Koda, a Belgian Malinois (pronounced MAL-in-wah), and his handler were off duty and visiting out of the area when the dog forced his way out of a portable kennel in the handler’s personal vehicle, consumed a large amount of dog food stored in the car, then began eating the car seats.

“The combination of the large amount of dog food and the foam from the car seats apparently caused an airway blockage or respiratory distress,” Edwards said.

An investigation determined that there was no negligence on the part of the handler, the Captain reported, adding that leaving the dog kenneled in a vehicle is not an uncommon practice.