Florida K-9 Killed by Lightning Strike

The Beach Police Department has lost one of its K-9 officers after a deadly lightning strike Sunday night.

K-9 officer Argo was found motionless in his kennel behind a Firenzo Avenue residence Sunday evening about 6:30 p.m. after a thunderstorm passed through Bay County. Panama City Beach police said it appeared Argo had been struck by lightning before the daughter of his longtime handler, PCBPD Cpl. Jason Gleason, found the K-9 dead, the News Herald reports.

Police reported Argo, a Belgian Malinois, had been left in the kennel during the storm because Gleason was en route to a training session. Argo had most of the hair missing from his right front leg above the paw, possibly singed from the lightning strike, according to the PCBPD incident report.