Massachusetts: Gwen Blumberg, 28, thought it would be a good idea to leave her Lab-Shar Pei mix locked in her car while she shopped at Target. Police disagreed and arrested her.

MASSACHUSETTS -- A Massachusetts woman was arrested in the parking lot of the local Target Saturday after a passer-by called police out of concern for a dog in a minivan.

When police arrived, they found a Labrador-Shar-Pei mix  in a van where the windows were left cracked two inches and the temperature inside was 84 degrees, Merrimack police said in a statement Monday.

“Officer Minihan spoke with the owner who admitted to leaving the dog in the vehicle and Officer Minihan observed the dog was panting extremely heavily and appeared in distress.

"After further investigation it was determined that the dog had been left in the vehicle not running for 30 minutes,” they said.

Police charged Gwen Blumberg, 28, of Marlborough, Mass., for animal cruelty, she was taken to police headquarters to be fingerprinted and a mugshot taken. This all went without incident, Merrimack police said.

Blumberg was released on $2,000 personal recognizance bond and her court date set for 8:15 a.m., Aug. 9, at 6th Circuit COurt - District Division - Hooksett.


(Union Leader - July 10, 2017)