Edo's handler believes someone opened his kennel, according to North Port police.

NORTH PORT — A Charlotte County Sheriff's Office dog who died after he went missing from his kennel had internal injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle, a veterinarian conducting the canine's necropsy reported to police.

According to the North Port Police Department, Sheriff's Office K9 Edo was discovered missing from the home of his handler, deputy Sean Davoli, in the 4000 block of Alibi Terrace in North Port on Dec. 9. Davoli said he left Edo in his latched kennel inside his garage with the garage door open because of the cooler weather. Davoli last saw Edo at about 7:15 p.m. when he went into the garage to take food out of the freezer. At about 8 p.m. Davoli returned to the garage and Edo was missing. The kennel was still in the closed position, according to a police report.

Neighbors reported seeing a large brown German shepherd running through their yard at about the same time. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office helicopter was dispatched but could not find Edo.

Davoli was confident that Edo could not open the kennel door by himself and felt someone must have opened the door. He said his family did not open the door because he was with them cooking dinner. He was unaware of anyone would would have an issue with Edo, who was not a barker and would not have made noise if anyone came up to him.

On Dec. 10 a neighbor a few blocks away reported that he had seen a dog matching Edo's description on Andalusia Terrace at about 10 p.m. The man said he attempted to retrieve the dog, but it began to bark and growl at him and would not let him near it. Not knowing of the missing dog, the man left the area.

After a search, Edo was found dead Monday morning by a neighbor walking her dog near Velvet Lane and Cranberry Boulevard in North Port, about a half mile from Davoli's home. The cause of death is unknown. A necropsy will be conducted. The Sheriff's Office says it is assisting the North Port Police Department in its investigation.

“We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from the community while searching for K9 Edo, both in North Port and Charlotte County,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a post on the Sheriff's Office Facebook page. “This was not the outcome we had hoped for, and our thoughts and prayers are with the handler and his family at this time.”

Edo served the Sheriff's Office for two years.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact North Port Police detective Sgt. Pam Jernigan at pjernigan@northportpd.com or 941-429-7321.