Hubka has alot of learning to do. Greed is a selfish and excessive desire for more money than is needed. Greed in the end, will do one in. It sure got him huh? And why does he still have a job on the police force? There's another agency to investigate!

Posted by Norman | reply to this comment
July 26, 2008 8:39 am

The extra compensation Hubka and other K9 officers will receive is almost -- almost! -- beside the point. Hubka, more than anyone else, should appreciate and practice the utmost humane treatment of his animal and "partner." Now, he should just be deeply ashamed of himself. I hope this tragic event haunts Hubka the rest of his life! The gross negligence that killed the dog sickens and disgusts me. Finally, I hope Hubka is prosecuted to the full extent of the law, convicted, and booted off the police force, with no retirement benefits to come. Please, Scott Lewis and Voice, on behalf of concerned readers and citizens, follow this story as it unfolds, would you? I want to know what kind of justice, in the end, is meted out to Hubka...

Posted by Robert E. Lee | reply to this comment
July 26, 2008 11:25 am

Regardless of the retiement issue, which doesn't surprise me as Hubka is supposedly on the POA (police union) board which will try to squeeze every penny ut of us for retirement, I am sickened by the death of this creature. Hubka was negligent, there is absolutely no other explanation. He will make excuses, but that is all they are, excuses for his negligence. He needs to face prosecution for causing the death of this animal.

Posted by GeorgeSD | reply to this comment
July 27, 2008 6:44 am

A person with a decency would take that, then, and invest it in animal care / police programs. To take that for oneself, that would be a sign of someone with no shame. Reading the U-T's vet's description of the dog's state, I almost threw up.

Posted by Tom S. | reply to this comment
July 27, 2008 7:14 am

Well, what about the other dog in this jerk's care? That one died of bloat -- pretty suspicious, especially with the latest incident. It looks like he only wanted the K-9 gig to increase the amount of money he was bilking from the taxpayers. I'm sure some on here will chirp right in to say that those poor officers, underpaid as they are, need the supplemental income. Horsefeathers.

Posted by Edgar | reply to this comment
July 27, 2008 9:47 am

I am sure Officer Hubka is sick at heart over the loss of his dog. Any dog lover or animal lover would be. But now It's up to the San Diego Police Department to deliver the same justice that an ordinary citizen would receive under the circumstances. No one is "above the law." These dogs cost the department at least $15,000 or more with all the training they receive. They are not easily replaced, just like their human partners. I wonder what would cause a normally "responsible" police officer to abandon his dog in a car like he did. Was he drunk? Hopefully, the truth will come out.

Posted by Cheeky | reply to this comment
July 27, 2008 3:19 pm

Someone wrote in UT letter saying that Las Vegas police cars outfitted for police dogs have alarms that go off and doors that pop open when car interior temperature reaches a high level. Can we do that here in San Diego? Apparently we need it because some of our officers either can't be bothered or are too stupid to know to keep their dog out of a hot car for extended periods of time. Who should I write to in order to start the process of getting these installed?

Posted by Chaco's Ma | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 7:07 am

What happens to Hubka's pension when he's convicted of cruelty to animals? In his car AT HOME?!?!? Dirtbag.

Posted by Convicted Police | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 8:13 am

Well, Convicted Police, you're headed in the right direction. How do you "forget" your dog is in a closed car for SEVEN HOURS? Do you have to be an imbecile? Drunk? Malicious? With moderately advanced Alzheimers? I don't know. Perhaps an investigation into this incident PLUS the death of this officer's previous dog, followed by prosecution, if indicated, is in order. Is there probable cause? Can't say. That's why an official inquiry is necessary. Any wrongdoing by this officer should relieve him of his pension, at the very least. Maybe sitting in jail for a few months will give him the opportunity to relect on his actions.

Posted by Edgar | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 9:30 am

Re: his 1st dog who died of bloat, that is a serious condition and is hard to prevent. It happens suddenly. And in Hubka's defense I believe he was on vacation when that took place so I dont think he should be blamed for it. Re: this incident,my heart hurts for the suffering that poor animal went through in his final moments. Hubka should be punished but at the same time I feel for him because K9 officers become family. I am sure Hubka is saddened by the loss and by his own stupidity. The criminal that jumped off the coronado bridge last year, taking a police dog with him was treated as if he'd killed another officer so I think Hubka should be punished in a similar manner.

Posted by DogLover | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 10:44 am

Imagine the righteous indignation that would occur from the SDPD if a citizen had killed a pet in a hot car. I'm certain that's lacking in this instance.

Posted by Gordon Wagner | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 1:27 pm

I just hope that the police department won't try to bury this. They were quick to call Stryker a police officer and I just hope they don't call this poor animal "equipment". I also believe that we deserve to know the truth about the incident. Where was Officer Hubka while his dog was left in the car? How much money did he get for "caring" for his dog? Can the City Council undo the settlement and take his money away?? If a regular citizen did this, they would have been arrested by now. VOSD blogs are full of police officers talking about their poor pay - where are they now?

Posted by Sad Story | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 2:16 pm

Unfortunately, until such time as police departments can hire from someplace other than the human race, there will be coppers who make mistakes. Good management demands not only that the offending officer be appropriately disciplined, but also that all possible steps be taken to avoid a similar tragedy in the future. Chaco's Ma hit the nail on the head - get past castigating the cop and figure out how to fix the problem. The City of SD should immediately outfit all K-9 cars with the K-9 safety devices described in the UT editorial and reportedly used by Las Vegas PD. Spending money on the PD will certainly cause pain to the leadership of "America's Cheapest City" but if Jerry Sanders can spend $400K on a consultant, he can come up with the money to buy this equipment. Do it now Jerry!

Posted by akj | reply to this comment
July 28, 2008 9:56 pm

I have a problem with the "Las Vegas device," at least as I understand it. Yes, it is imperative that a dog be released from a death trap, but what good is it if he is released along a busy street, jumps out of the car and is hit by another or shot by a criminal pursued by the police? Cannot the PD implement a procedure whereby the patrol car is left running, with AC on, and locked from the outside? Yes, I know. Cars sometimes fail, stop running. But, with the amount of maintenance and scrutiny I would HOPE SDPD puts into all of its equipment, that worry would be a non-issue. Maybe someone else has a better idea, but I don't believe releasing a dog on his own in a God-knows-where area is the best solution.

Posted by Edgar | reply to this comment
July 29, 2008 9:13 am

I have a problem with the "Las Vegas device," at least as I understand it. Yes, it is imperative that a dog be released from a death trap, but what good is it if he is released along a busy street, jumps out of the car and is hit by another or shot by a criminal pursued by the police? Cannot the PD implement a procedure whereby the patrol car is left running, with AC on, and locked from the outside? Yes, I know. Cars sometimes fail, stop running. But, with the amount of maintenance and scrutiny I would HOPE SDPD puts into all of its equipment, that worry would be a non-issue. Maybe someone else has a better idea, but I don't believe releasing a dog on his own in a God-knows-where area is the best solution.

Posted by Edgar | reply to this comment
July 29, 2008 9:13 am

To Robert E. Lee, To your Post #2. You absolutely amaze me. You act as if Paul killed his partner on purpose. The City should punish him to the full extent of the Law? You of all people should believe in compassion and the spirit of the law, not just the letter of the law. Paul Hubka made a mistake and after the investigation is over, i am sure he will be disciplined. Paul deserves to have his impeccable record and tireless dedication to the citizens of this city recognized prior to determining what degree of discipline he receives. You have two-stepped your way around this issue in other venues but I believe the real R.E.L. is present here. The Discusting truth is quite evident here!

Posted by Ron Weiss | reply to this comment
July 30, 2008 6:02 am

Wow! Harsh words from a harsh man at #16. Step on the PD's toes and see what happens, out come the whiners. What's disgusting, Officer Weiss, is the way SOME police officers excoriate anyone who would but question the actions of The Brotherhood. This whole incident really makes me look at the PD in an entirely new way. I can only hope (and I do believe) that the overwhelming majority of your fellow officers do not feel this way.

Posted by Edgar | reply to this comment
July 30, 2008 7:30 am

does anybody know if that $36,000 is per K-9 patrol car or for all of them? It doesn't state this either way and as a guess, I'd say it was probably per vehicle. Also, how many K-9 patrol cars do we have? My next comment is regarding this system as it was stated. From what I saw, it has a temp sensor which, when the system is enabled it will trigger at some point(s), the A/C to be powered on and the windows rolled down some amount. So I have to ask the question, if an officer who knew he had a dog in the back seat still left the dog locked in the closed car, what is going to stop an officer from forgetting to turn a switch to enable the K-9 heat protection system?

Posted by Doug | reply to this comment
August 18, 2008 10:52 am

Considering our current financial situation, wouldn't a cheaper system still do the job? For instance, add an external I2C temp sensor to the computer already in the car or in the worst case, add a simple embedded controller with a communications(netwo connection to that computer AND add another module to control the onboard air vent fan system. It may need to also operate the horn and windows if the existing onboard system can't. Now, when the temp hits a moderate temperature, turn on the vent fan. If the temperature rises higher, increase the fan speed and send an alert to the dispatcher with critical information( GPS location, car number, temperature, etc ) so that the dispatcher can either locate the officer assigned to the K-9 unit and/or dispatch an officer to rescue the K-9 unit. If the temp gets to an extreme temp, sound the horn and open windows.

Posted by Doug | reply to this comment
August 18, 2008 11:29 am

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