Death of NSW police dogs Xtra and Soldier sparks investigation

Two beloved police dogs have been found dead in mysterious circumstances in Sydney’s south, with the state’s force now in mourning.

Police dog Xtra and development dog Soldier had attended a development day with their handler in Lucas Heights.

Authorities said the two German shepherds had been kept in air-conditioned pods inside police vehicles purpose-built for them.

But when they were checked on about 12.30pm, both were found dead.

“They were taken to a specialist veterinary clinic but were unable to be revived,” NSW Police said in a statement.

Authorities have not speculated on their cause of death.

An investigation overseen by detectives from the Sutherland Police Area Command and Fleet Services is now underway.

Xtra gained accreditation as a general-purpose dog six years ago while Soldier only began service with the Dog Unit in February for training and development.

Commissioner Karen Webb lauded the pups as highly trained and vital for officers serving the community.

“Today is a very sad day for the Dog Unit and the thoughts of the whole police family are with them,” Webb said.

“We owe it to PD Xtra and DD Soldier to conduct a thorough investigation.”