Former school officer charged in connection with two K9 deaths

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A former school officer is charged with felony animal cruelty in connection with the deaths of two K9 officers. 

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office investigators believe that former Cherokee County School police officer Lt. Dan Peabody  shot one of the dogs and left the other one in a hot car. Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances of a third set of animal remains and noted that the investigation is far from over.

Peabody was taken into custody Wednesday morning and charged with felony animal cruelty and making false statements. He received a $22,400 bond, but remains in jail until a first appearance scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

The Cherokee Marshal's Office and Cherokee Sheriff's Office responded to Peabody's home on June 10 .  According to a preliminary investigation, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois named Inca was left in Peabody's patrol unit at about 4:15 p.m., while he went into his home to "deal with another dog" inside the home.

Around 7 p.m., the officer remembered Inca was still in the patrol car and found the police canine dead in the rear of the patrol unit.

"This vehicle was not equipped with alarms, it was not equipped with a kennel," Marshal Chief Ron Hunton said at the time. "It wasn’t equipped in the manner that you see normally in a K9 vehicle. I certainly have to say that obviously that had an impact on this."

Hunton said that, in this case, that's extremely important.

"If you’re going to have K9s you need to take care of them," he said. "And you need to make sure the cars are equipped to take care of these dogs." 

The second charge of making false statements is linked to the death of another retired K9, Dale. According to investigators, Peabody adopted Dale in 2012 when the K9 retired. He originally told police Dale died when he choked on a ball. However, investigators later determined Peabody shot Dale shortly after he retired. Tips about Dale's death came into the Sheriff's Office after Inca died.

A Sheriff's spokesperson also said they discovered a third set of animal remains at a home Peabody lived in about a  year ago. At this point, they're not sure what animal died or under what circumstances. The remains are believed to be those of a dog. A forensic Veterinarian is working to identify the breed and cause of death.

Peabody resigned from Cherokee County School on June 16, the school said in a statement.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Cherokee County Marshall's Office announced Peabody's wife, Tyler Verlander, was illegally operating a kennel out of their home.

"She did not have a business license, nor was the home zoned or permitted for this type of use," a spokesperson for the Marshall's office said. "There were no indications or reasons to believe that any animals were in danger or harmed while at the home."

She was issued several citations for the violations.