TEXAS -- A woman has been charged with animal cruelty, after her collie-mix dog died in her car Friday afternoon. She allegedly left the animal for two hours in her car – which was located in the parking lot of a Round Rock shopping center – while she shopped, Round Rock police said.
The dog’s owner, whose name was not immediately released, reported that after returning to her vehicle the animal was “lifeless and limp,” said police spokesperson Dee Carver.
A witness tried to resuscitate the dog by performing CPR but those attempts were unsuccessful, Carver said.
LEFT TO COOK TO DEATH INSIDE A HOT CAR AND SHE ISN'T EVEN CHARGED WITH THE APPROPRIATE CRIME
Although the outside temperature Friday afternoon was 91 degrees, the reported temperature inside the woman’s vehicle was 140, Carver said.
The woman was cited on an animal cruelty charge, regarding the safety of an animal in a parked vehicle. Round Rock has an ordinance forbidding people from leaving a pet unattended in a vehicle, Carver said.
This type of animal cruelty charge is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500, she said.
Why isn't she being charged with aggravated animal cruelty???
Carver also gave tips for pet owners and for those who see animals left unattended in vehicles.
“Cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures even when parked in the shade on a warm day,” she said. “It takes just 15 minutes for that drastic temperature change from the outside to the inside. If someone sees a pet inside a vehicle, they need to immediately call 911 because this is an emergency. Instead of tracking down the owner of the pet, animal control will first break a window if they find an animal is in distress.”
She said it’s also not a good idea to leave an animal in a hot car even with the air conditioner running. It won’t help to cool the pet off and owners are putting themselves at risk of someone else taking off with their car and their pet.
“It’s just best to leave your animals at home in hot weather,” Carver said.
Dr. Jill Urofsky, veterinarian at Animal Care Clinic off North Mays, said once a dog has an internal body temperature of 102 it’s hard for them to cool themselves down. The only two ways they can cool themselves down is by panting and sweating through their feet.
Some symptoms of animals suffering from heatstroke are bright red gums, and heavy and thick salivation, she said. When a dog’s internal body temperature hits 104, they are suffering from a full-blown heatstroke and could be having some mild kidney or liver damage. When a dog’s body temperature reaches 108, they will experience kidney and liver damage if they survive. At this point, a dog could have a seizure and then die.
“The concept of dogs overheating is more common than you would think,” Urofsky said.
She said boxers and bulldogs are the two breeds of dogs that get the hottest most easily, because they have short noses.
When a dog’s body temperature hits 104, veterinarians will put cool towels around the animal and inject them with an IV of cool fluids to rehydrate them.
Like Carver, Urofsky said owners should not leave their animals in a hot car. However, if they must be in the car, it should only be for 10 minutes or less.
(Austin American-Statesman - July 10, 2013)
