A woman has been charged with animal cruelty after leaving a dog in a hot car in St. Petersburg, Florida. The 24-year-old was arrested on Monday, June 10, after admitting to leaving the canine in the parked car.
Dog left in hot car in St. Petersburg, woman facing charges
As the temperatures soar, leaving pets in vehicles becomes riskier and can prove fatal. A woman has been accused of leaving a dog behind in a hot car while she attended a community meeting at City Hall in St. Petersburg, Florida. The worst part is that the furry companion doesn’t belong to her. She was only watching the pup while the pet parent was on vacation.
The suspect has been identified as Melissa Major. She left the dog in the hot car while attending an Urban Forestry Council meeting. According to Fox 13, the canine was in the vehicle for about one and a half hours. Police noted that the car was off, and the windows were cracked open ever so slightly. However, it wasn’t enough to help keep the pup cool in Florida’s soaring temperatures.
On the day of the incident, the temperature was about 89 degrees, and the dog was panting heavily when police finally arrived. Fortunately, they rushed the canine to an animal hospital to avoid further health complications due to dehydration and heat exhaustion. Major was arrested the same day and admitted to leaving the pup in the parked car.
Leaving pets unattended in vehicles isn’t recommended, as it can cause them to suffer from heat stroke. The temperature of a turned-off car can rise very quickly, especially in the summer, leading to dehydration and heat exhaustion. Moreover, cracking open the windows by a few inches isn’t enough to help the pets keep cool. Thus, leaving them back home instead of a vehicle would be best if one can’t take their furry friends with them wherever they are headed.
