A Prince George’s County Police Department officer who is assigned to the canine division has been hit with three animal cruelty charges, the department announced Thursday.

Cpl. David Acosta, 40, is charged with mistreating a 2-year-old bloodhound named Daisy, the department said. Acosta will be suspended without pay.

Acosta was suspended for “an unrelated incident” on July 14 this year and two other officers were sent to retrieve Daisy and a second dog, a Belgian Malinois named Spartacus. After picking up the dogs, the handlers found injuries “related to an e-collar” on Daisy, the department said.

They said Daisy also had other medical conditions that required treatment, but did not offer specifics.

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The Police Department said this is, to the best of their knowledge, the first time in 60 years the department has seen an “incident of animal mistreatment” in the history of its canine section.

“This situation involving Daisy is appalling. She is a part of the PGPD family. I expect that all of our handlers treat their canine partners with the utmost care and concern,” Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz said in a statement.

Daisy, a bloodhound, is part of the Prince George’s County Police Department’s canine unit. (Courtesy of the Prince George's County Police Department)

Daisy and Spartacus have been removed from Acosta’s care and have been reassigned. Daisy is doing well and is back to work, the department said.

Bloodhounds are primarily used by the department in searches for missing people, Aziz said.

The department announced said it was immediately implementing new policies to protect its animals, including documented weekly visual inspections of the dogs; bimonthly, in-depth inspections that includes “detailed assessment of training aides” like muzzles, harnesses and leashes; and scheduled, biannual inspections of the dog’s residential kennels.

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“This investigation is in the early stages and will be thorough. I too want to know how this occurred,” Aziz said.

Acosta did not have a lawyer listed in online court records as of Thursday afternoon. The Prince George’s County Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for more details about Acosta’s suspension.

One of the crimes Acosta is accused of is a felony. A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for Sept. 13.

Acosta joined the department in 2006. Police said the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information to call the Internal Affairs Division at 301-516-5721.

This is a developing story.