Move over, Michael Vick.

Another inexplicable case of animal cruelty, this time by a Phoenix cop who left his canine partner in a hot car all day!  Sgt. Tom Lovejoy, of the Chandler police, reportedly left Bandit, his partner of three years, in the car for 10 hours, when the outside temperature was over 100 degrees (it’s Arizona, for chrissakes!), while he took a nap inside his house and went out to dinner with his wife.  Of course, the dog died, probably within the first hour or two.  A lot of the commentary about this event consists of indignant reactions to the slap on the wrist Lovejoy received (he was charged with only a misdemeanor of animal cruelty).  And rightly so.  A police dog is not just a valuable piece of equipment — he is an officer, and presumably one that is so dedicated, he would lay down his life for his partner.  I just never would have imagined it would be at the hands of his partner!