The dog ended up dead and she ended up in handcuffs.
It was nearly 100 degrees and the 14-month-old Yorkie Chihuahua was inside a car parked in an agency's lot, the windows rolled up. When the owner came out of her job an hour later, the dog had died.
A local vet says this doesn't happen often. "Well the reaction is, it's very sad," said Dr. Michael Broderick, Veterinarian.
Woodbridge Animal Control responded to the site on Lunar Road, ironically just down the street from the dog pound.
The dog's owner, 24-year-old Tiffany July-Lindo of Waterbury, admitted she left the dog in the car while she went into work at 6 Lunar Road. She is now facing criminal charges, and arrested and booked on one count of cruelty to animals.
It turns out dogs are at greater risk in a hot car, as they do not actually sweat. "They over heat faster than a human does, so within minutes, ten or fifteen minutes, you can see dogs suffering from heat stroke from being in a closed car," said Broderick.
The vet says it's okay to leave your dog at home while you go to work, even if you don't have air conditioning. Just make sure to leave the animal plenty of water.
"It's really not having them in full sun, rather in a shaded area and you know animals belong inside anyway when we are not with them, and they should be okay, even on the hottest days," said Broderick.
(WWLP - July 19, 2013)
