DAVIE, Fla. – Police are investigating after two K-9s were found dead inside a police vehicle parked outside an officer's home.

The dogs died Wednesday at the Davie home of an off-duty Hialeah K-9 officer, Hialeah police spokesman Carl Zogby said.

Hialeah police detectives and Davie police arrived at the home of Officer Nelson Enriquez regarding the death of his two assigned K-9 work dogs, Jimmy, a 7-year-old bloodhound, and Hector, a 4-year-old Belgium Malinois.

Zogby said it appears Enriquez left the K-9s in his marked police vehicle parked in the driveway of his Davie house Wednesday morning as he returned home after completing his midnight shift.

Enriquez discovered the dead K-9s Wednesday evening and notified police.

The Davie Police Department is leading the investigation. Hialeah police are also conducting a complete and concurrent internal investigation.

Enriquez is a 13-year veteran of the Hialeah Police Department and has been a K-9 handler the past seven years. He was relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

"The Hialeah Police Department is extremely saddened by this unfortunate occurrence and every effort will be made to determine the cause of this terrible tragedy, which claimed the lives of two very beloved members of our Hialeah police family," Zogby said. "This is still an open and active investigation and we must wait for the outcome from the Davie police and the Broward (County) state attorney's office."

Don Ryce of the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction, released a statement Thursday morning saying in part, "I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of two remarkable police dogs from the Hialeah Police Department, Jimmy and Hector. The Jimmy Ryce Center donated Jimmy, the bloodhound, to the Hialeah Police Department seven years ago. Our mission is stronger than ever, and with the public's help, we hope to be able to raise funds to replace these dogs."

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