Two police dogs have died after their handler apparently left him in his vehicle for hours on Wednesday as temperatures reached as high as 86F (30C).

Hialeah Police Officer Nelson Enriquez drove to his Davie, Florida, home early on Wednesday following his midnight shift and left the dogs inside his marked police car in his driveway.

He found Jimmy, a seven-year-old bloodhound, and Hector, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, dead inside the vehicle around 7pm and called the Davie Police.

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Heartbreaking: Hialeah police dog Jimmy the bloodhound, pictured with his handler Nelson Enriquez, has been found dead inside Enriquez's car with another police dog after the officer mistakenly left them inside

Loss: Enriquez, who had been partnered with Jimmy since 2009, left the dogs in the car after returning home from the midnight work shift on Wednesday. He discovered the dogs later that day

Officers found the two dogs and Enriquez's car was towed away for further investigation.

The officer, a 13-year veteran of the force who has been a K-9 handler for seven years, has been relieved of duty while the investigation is underway. He has not been charged.

It is unclear exactly how long the dogs had been inside the car, police said.

Temperatures in the area reached as high as 86F (30C) on Wednesday afternoon. After 6pm on Wednesday, temperature highs dropped to 82F (28C) with lows of 75F (24C).

In a further tragic twist, Jimmy was donated to the police department by the father of a nine-year-old murder victim to assist with missing children investigations, according to a 2009 NBC Miami report.

The bloodhound, who was five months old at the time, was donated by Don Ryce whose son, Jimmy, was abducted a block from his home, raped and then murdered in 1995. (The child's killer, Juan Carlos Chavez, was sentenced to death for the murder.)

Tragedy: Jimmy, pictured, was trained to search for missing children and missing Alzheimer's patients

Investigation: The officer's police car was taken away from his home on Wednesday as part of the probe

The dog was named Jimmy as a tribute to the little boy and the report said the dog was expected to be involved in searches for missing children, thanks to his powerful nose.

Tribute: The father of murder victim Jimmy Ryce, pictured, had donated the dog to the police force

He was also trained to help track down missing Alzheimer's patients, according to the A Child Is Missing Alert Program.

Enriquez - himself new to the K-9 officers unit at the time - told the station of his excitement to be working with the puppy.

'Oh, I love him, I love him to death. He's great,' he said.

Mr Ryce added: 'Anything that reminds me of my son in a positive way is great. I look forward to hearing about Jimmy saving a kid in the future.'

Belgian Malinois, like Hector, are often used by police for their speed.

While the breed is known for its gentle nature, the dogs can also run 30 miles and have a 270-degree field of vision, making them effective at hunting down targets.

Following the deaths on Wednesday, the Hialeah Police Department said it will conduct an internal inquiry, the Miami Herald reported.

'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,' said Hialeah police spokesman Carl Zogby.

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