Four-year-old Star is a Pomeranian.
Police say the small dog was left in a car back on June 9, and it was hot that day.
"They went to the movies on 192," says Angie Strunk, the dog's owner.
She says her brother Phillip Gallagher left Star in his friend's car that Sunday, both went to see the movie "Hangover III" at the Cinema World on SR 192.
Strunk says her brother left a bowl of water and food in the car.
And says he went to check on the dog every 10 to 15 minutes.
[Who goes to the movies and then gets up out of their seat, edges their way past everyone else in the row, goes out to the lobby, out of the building and through the parking lot to the car EVERY 10 MINUTES?! Lies, lies, lies. Check the surveillance cameras.]
Police reports say the windows were cracked about two inches -- and the heat index was 97 degrees that day.
They say the dog was in the car for two hours.
Officers found the dog panting, tongue fully extended, with glossy eyes and covered in drool.
Gallagher admitted leaving the dog in the car.
"Every time someone mentions it he starts breaking down," said Strunk.
"This dog was maybe half an hour away from succumbing to the heat," said Capt. Bob Brown of Brevard Animal Services.
Captain Brown says leaving pets in the car even for a few minutes can be dangerous for the animal on a hot, summer day.
While it might be 90 degrees outside, a car can get up to 120 degrees.
"He'll get over your going for a ride without him, better than you losing him because you made a mistake," he said.
"Leave any dog at home instead of taking a chance like that," added Strunk.
Star was taken to an emergency clinic -- later she spent four days at the county shelter recovering.
She's fine now. And back with her owners.
Animal cruelty charges carry a maximum of a year in jail and a $5,000 fine per animal.
Gallagher's case hasn't yet come to court.
(cfnews13 - June 21, 2013)
