Salem County prosecutor investigating deaths of sheriff's office K9s

SALEM, N.J. (WPVI) -- Two K9 officers with the Salem County Sheriff's Office have died.

In a social media post, the sheriff's office said K9s Rip and Boomer died Friday. Authorities have not released details about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The Salem County Prosecutor's Office confirmed it is investigating the incident.

Officials also said the K9 handler responsible for the dogs has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

In a statement, the sheriff's office acknowledged the public's concern.

"We at the Salem County Sheriff's Office are truly humbled by the overwhelming support from the community in the wake of the deaths of our K-9's," a statement said. "We further understand the frustration in the lack of information provided on social media outlets. The incident was immediately turned over to the Salem County Prosecutor's Office to conduct a complete and thorough investigation."

The Salem County Sheriff's Office says it will not comment further at this time.