The sudden death of a Bermuda Customs search dog has prompted a source close to the authority to allege several instances in which the animals were treated negligently.

However, Collector of Customs Lucinda Pearman responded that the canine’s death had been found to be “accidental and unavoidable”.

The abrupt death of the dog, named Breston, was said to have aroused suspicions of staff at LF Wade International Airport, as it coincided with the animal’s transfer.

Another allegation, that a different dog had been left without food while its handler took a vacation, couldn’t be verified by the service.

Customs currently has three Belgian Malinois dogs checking incoming bags and passengers.

Ms Pearman confirmed that Breston, six years old and in good health, had been found dead in the police kennels on August 13.

The dog had been kept there overnight in preparation for his transfer to the police service.

Bermuda Customs dog handlers typically commit to a four-year term.

The officer in charge of Breston had completed their cycle, and had asked to be shifted to a different area of work.

After the animal’s death, “a necropsy was performed by a veterinarian who determined that the cause of death was gastric torsion or twisted stomach and further found that the canine’s death was accidental and unavoidable”, Ms Pearman said.

The source also claimed that another dog, Max, had been left in a hot van early in the summer, and overheated when the air conditioning broke down.

The mistake was caught “in the nick of time”, the source said, with the animal subsequently rushed to a vet for treatment.

Ms Pearman said an incident had occurred, causing the agency to decide that, because of the fleet’s age, dogs would no longer be left unattended in vehicles — but she said that keeping the animals in an air-conditioned vehicle was “standard practice, both locally and internationally”.

The dog was left in the vehicle while a Customs officer assisted a colleague, she said.

“In this instance, it was discovered that the air conditioning shut down because the radiator overheated.

“The exact period that the canine was exposed to the heat was approximately ten minutes. This canine was immediately transferred to the vet for observation and then released back to the handler.”

The source who contacted this newspaper further alleged that roughly four months ago, when a handler went on holiday, the fellow member of staff who had been assigned to attend to their animal’s needs “forgot” to do so.

The dog had access to water, the source said, but went without food for two or three days.

However, Ms Pearman said the allegation could not be substantiated, as no such incident had been reported to management.

SPCA Chairman Andrew Madeiros said he hadn’t received reports of Customs dogs being neglected — but the source who spoke with The Royal Gazette said that instead of logging incidents automatically, Customs depended on verbal messages.

“I’m not surprised that management was unaware,” the source added.

According to Customs, the Belgian Malinois used at the airport is “known for being alert and having high energy, and is normally smaller than the German Shepherd that they resemble”.

The dogs are used worldwide in police work and detection — most famously in the US raid to capture or kill Osama bin Laden in Abottobad, Pakistan in 2011.

“All of our canines are valuable assets to the Department, and are treated as such,” Ms Pearman said. “Additionally, Customs work closely with the Environmental Protection Department and often seek advice regarding the Customs canines.”

Meanwhile, Environmental Protection advised that no reports had come in of “cruelty or improper care suffered by dogs under the control of Bermuda Customs”.

However, the spokeswoman continued: “The Government Veterinary Officer does not provide medical services directly to any animal, and animals owned by the various Government departments receive veterinary care through the private veterinary facilities. Environmental Protection is willing to investigate any credible complaint to its just conclusion.”