A New Hampshire woman has been charged with animal cruelty after a dog was found dead in a hot car, according to police.
Police in Portsmouth, east of the state capital Concord, were alerted to reports of an unresponsive dog in a vehicle at a parking lot at 100 Durgin Lane on Sunday, June 11.
Following an investigation, police learned that the dog, a terrier mix, had been left in the vehicle with the windows up for several hours.
A Portsmouth Police Department (PPD) spokesperson said the temperature in the car exceeded 120 degrees.
The spokesperson said in a June 12 Facebook post: “Upon the arrival of officers, the dog was found to be deceased. The outside temperature was in the mid-70s with the internal temperature of the vehicle recorded at 125 degrees.
“Officers found a small bowl of food and a very small amount of water on the rear passenger seat. The dog was brought to a local veterinary hospital for a necropsy.”
The dog’s owner, Susan Weilbrenner, 52, of Tamworth in New Hampshire, was arrested at the scene.
Weilbrenner was later charged with Animals in Motor Vehicles and Cruelty to Animals, both misdemeanors.
She was bailed on personal recognizance and is due to appear at the Portsmouth District Court on July 17, according to the PPD.
A Portsmouth police spokesperson added: “The Portsmouth Police Department would like to remind everyone that it is dangerous to leave your pet in a closed vehicle even for a short period of time. It only takes 20 minutes for the interior of the vehicle to reach over 100 degrees on a 70 degree day.”
The National Weather Service warns to never leave any pets in a car even in cool temperatures.
“Even in cool temperatures, cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly,” says the website. “Even with the windows cracked open, interior temperatures can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes. Any pet left inside is at risk for serious heat-related illnesses or even death.”
Hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion every year because they were left in parked vehicles, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“Your vehicle can quickly reach a temperature that puts your pet at risk of serious illness and even death, even on a day that doesn’t seem hot to you. And cracking the windows makes no difference,” says the website. “This is definitely a situation where ‘love ’em and leave ’em’ is a good thing. Please leave your pets at home at home when you can… They’ll be safe and happily waiting for you to come home.”
Newsweek has contacted the PPD for comment via email.