Two police dogs named Rip and Boomer died on duty together in Salem County, New Jersey last Friday. Rip was a Belgian malinois trained in patrol and drug detection. Boomer was a springer spaniel specialized in bomb detection. Both dogs were rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital in Delaware — and both died. Their handler has been placed on administrative leave.

Authorities have opened an investigation but are refusing to say what the dogs were doing when they died or what killed them. Two working dogs dying together under unexplained circumstances is not a routine loss — it demands a full, transparent, and public accounting.

Rip and Boomer spent their lives serving the residents of Salem County. They were trained, trusted, and deployed by law enforcement to protect their community. They deserved better than to die under circumstances that remain secret. The people of Salem County deserve to know what happened to them.

We're calling on the Salem County Prosecutor's Office to conduct a full and independent investigation into the deaths of Rip and Boomer and release its findings to the public. These dogs gave everything. The least we can do is demand the truth.