Dog Left Inside Car For An Hour: Milford Police

MILFORD, CT — A Milford man, Michael Cappetto, 74, of Pearl Hill Street, is accused of leaving a dog inside a vehicle for about an hour earlier this month, police said.

On Aug. 16, police responded to the Walmart parking lot located at 1365 Boston Post Road on the report of a dog left in a vehicle and the dog appeared to be in distress, police said.

"Investigation led to the arrest of Cappetto who is accused of leaving his dog in the car for approximately one hour with no water and no air conditioning," police said in a news release.

He is charged with cruelty to animals and was given a court date of Sept. 13.

PETA officials issued a news release after police announced details of the incident.

"A dog had to be rescued after being left inside a hot car in Milford, and similar reports nationwide are rolling in at an out-of-control rate," PETA officials said in a news release. "...This year, 28 dogs have been reported dead from heat-related causes...."

PETA shared some general tips about pet safety, especially during warmer weather. "... high temperatures put dogs at a high risk of enduring heat prostration and dying, so PETA is issuing an urgent warning to anyone with a dog: Never leave them inside vehicles, and please be sure to do the following.

• Touch the pavement before walks to ensure that it won’t burn dogs’ foot pads.
• Be alert to a long, curled-up tongue and heavy panting, as dogs cannot sweat as humans can and heat builds up inside their bodies.
• Walk only in the shade or on earth or grass, and never leave animals alone outdoors. (On Memorial Day weekend, PETA fieldworkers discovered the body of a dog who had died after being left chained up in the hot sun.)

"PETA thanks rescuers in Milford for taking action and urges everyone to support the Hot Cars Act of 2021, which would require automakers to install technology in vehicles to detect the presence of an animal or a child and alert drivers when someone is in the backseat," PETA'S news release concludes.