The following reports are but a fraction of the hundreds, even thousands, of instances where every year dogs are left in parked cars to die. A lucky few survive. (One county animal shelter reports getting three to six heat-related calls of animal cruelty or animals in distress each day.) Also, many young children die as a result of being left in parked cars in the summertime. One Web site tracked 16 toddlers and infants dead in 2008 in the span of only two months.
8/31/2010, Washington, DC
Dog dies inside hot car
A tourist from Michigan was arrested on animal cruelty charges Monday after leaving his two dogs inside a scorching minivan parked near the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in the District. Rosie, an 8-year-old Chihuahua, died of heat stress after being inside the minivan for more than an hour. (Washington Post)
8/9/2010, Salisbury, MD
Woman left six dogs locked in a hot car
Salisbury police said a man and a woman left six dogs locked in a hot car for more than three hours. One dog died. Police were called to a vehicle at the Centre Mall in Salisbury Sunday afternoon. The six dogs, who appeared to be in distress from the heat, were in the car with the windows down only one inch. Police entered the car and found the temperature to be more than 105 degrees. (WBALTV.COM)
8/5/2010, Austin, TX
Dog dies in hot car; owner charged
An Austin man was arrested on Tuesday for reportedly leaving his dog in a hot car while he shopped in an electronics store, killing the 2-year-old dog named Stedman. (Austin News)
8/3/2010, Fort Myers, FL
Dog dies after it was left in car for more than two hours
Leaving a dog alone in the car often has deadly consequences, especially in hot and sunny Florida. A family left its small poodle mix in the car outside HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers on Monday and it died. Someone called Lee County Domestic Animal Services to report seeing the animal in the car, but although the officer arrived in minutes, they were unable to save the animal. (Naples News)
8/2/2010, Springfield, MA
One of Two Dogs in Hot Truck Dies
A West Springfield man is facing animal cruelty charges after police say he left his two dogs in a hot pick up truck while shopping at the Holyoke Mall. The photos of the incident released by Holyoke Police might bring any dog lover to tears. An old yellow lab and a little corgi cross left in the back of a sealed pickup truck while police say their owner went shopping for nearly two hours at the Holyoke mall. Two Sears employees saw the dogs in distress, opened the truck, and poured cool water on the dogs until Holyoke Police arrived. Officers say the lab was unresponsive and was suffering from seizures due to the extreme heat. (CBS 3 Springfield)
7/8/2010, Yorktown Heights, NY
Dog dies in hot car while owner swims
A New York City man has been charged with letting his dog die in a 140-degree car while he went out for a swim. Ken Ross, chief investigator for the SPCA in Westchester County, said that Heriberto Palacio had gone for a swim at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Yorktown Heights on Monday. Temperatures were in the 90s outside. Ross says that 41-year-old Palacio left two windows open about 2 inches and left his 6-pound Maltese dog in the parked van. (wcbstv.com)
7/7/2010, Janesville, WI
Dog left in car dies after four hours in the heat
A Wisconsin woman faces charges after her dog was left to die inside her hot car. Police say Anisha Butalla, 24, of Wausau, left her 2-year-old pit bull in her car at the Wal-Mart parking lot at 2785 Milwaukee Road while she attended a court matter in Janesville. The dog was locked in the car without sufficient ventilation on Tuesday, during the heat of the day when the temperature was 86 degrees outside. (WREX Rockford)
7/6/2010, Frederick, MD
Woman charged with leaving dog in hot car while she shopped
Before she left the state of Washington to relocate to West Virginia, Cathryn Cordyack Washington had a veterinarian give her 14-year-old dog the OK to fly. For Delta, a yellow Labrador retriever, the cross-country airplane trip wasn't a problem. It was the hot car she was left in after arriving that killed her. According to charging documents filed in Frederick County District Court, Washington's retriever died of heart failure brought on by the stress of hyperthermia, suffered July 6 in the Costco parking lot as her owner shopped. (FrederickNewsPost.com)
6/28/2010, Scottsdale, AZ
Harkins Theatres owner cited for leaving dog in hot car
Dan Harkins, owner of Harkins Theatres, was cited for animal neglect Saturday after authorities said he left his dog in his car for more than three hours, according to the Scottsdale Police Department. An officer was flagged down by someone who noticed a 5-year-old female corgi alone in a white 2008 BMW sedan, which was parked at the Harkins Shea 14 movie theater in the 7300 block of East Shea Boulevard, according to police records. (azcentral.com)
6/28/2010, Sacramento, CA
Dog left in hot car at Arden Fair Mall
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was left in a hot car at Arden Fair Mall while the owner was shopping inside Sunday. Witnesses saw the dog in the vehicle and called police, animal control and mall security. (ABC News 10)
6/22/2010, Memphis, TN
Dog dies days after being left inside hot car
A dog that was left inside a hot car for hours over the weekend died late Monday night. Monday evening, Coco, a one-year-old pit pull, passed away after spending the day receiving IV's and emergency care. Gregory Fisher and Amanda Lillard are behind bars charged with animal cruelty, after Coco sat in a hot car for hours on Saturday. (Action News 5 - wmctv.com)
6/22/2010, Henryville, IN
Marriage spat may have led to death of dog in hot car
A southern Indiana woman is under investigation after being accused of leaving her estranged husband's dog in a sweltering car and not telling him about it for 90 minutes. A police report shows the dog was found motionless, curled in a ball in the car. That dog - Saber - later died, despite the efforts of an EMT to save his life. (NBC Wave 3 News)
6/16/2010, Stillwater, OK
Man cited for animal cruelty for leaving dog in hot truck
Stillwater police cited a man for animal cruelty Sunday after he left a dog in a parked car.
The man told police he was shopping inside a store for about 10 minutes, said Capt. Randy Dickerson. (News Press)
6/6/10, Grand Junction, CO
Dog left in hot car at Wal-Mart, owner ticketed
A dog was left in a hot car Saturday evening and now its owner is facing charges. The dog was alone in the hot sun in the Rimrock Wal-Mart parking lot. Officials took a temperature reading in the car and found that it was 122 to 123 degrees inside. (NBC 11 News)
05/17/10, St. Louis, MO
Evansville Man Accused of Leaving Dog in Hot Car
Evansville Police said John T. Heldreth was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of animal cruelty. Police said a small Boston terrier was found just before 3:00 PM Friday inside a white truck parked at St. Mary's Hospital. According to police documents, the dog was panting hard and was wet from sweating. They said the passenger side window was cracked a little but rain vents over the window was preventing air from getting into the truck. (ABC News 25)
5/24/10, Rochester, MN
Dog dies in hot vehicle, owner shares his side of story
A rottweiler was left inside a vehicle Saturday afternoon and died of heat exhaustion. The owner said he loved the dog and never intended something like this to happen. (ABC WXOW 19)
04/14/10, St. Louis, MO
Dog rescued from hot car at the Saint Louis Zoo
A warning from the Humane Society of Missouri: what may feel like perfect temperatures outside can build to dangerous levels inside a vehicle.
Investigators rescued two pets from hot cars Wednesday -- one of the rescues was at the St. Louis Zoo. Charges could be filed for endangering the animals in both cars. (ksdk.com)
03/10/10, Tampa, FL
Dog left in hot car while family visited Busch Gardens
Down from Illinois on spring break, Police say Marius Molnar left a dog inside his SUV while he visited Busch Gardens. An officer working extra duty spotted the car in the Busch Gardens parking lot with the dog inside. Hillsborough County Animal Services investigated and said the inside temperature of the vehicle was 90 degrees. (ABC Action News)
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