Owner Facing Cruelty Charges After Leaving Dog In Hot Car: Sheriff

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Hernando County woman for animal cruelty after deputies said she left her dog in a hot car while she drove around with her boyfriend, who was making deliveries for food delivery services.

On Wednesday around 10 p.m. Hernando County sheriff's deputies responded to a call from Linda Pederson Park in Hernando Beach concerning an endangered dog.

The caller said he'd gone fishing at about 2 p.m. and noticed a dog left in a car in the park's parking lot. When he returned at 10 p.m., the car with the dog was still in the parking lot.

He said all the windows were closed except for the driver's side window, which was cracked slightly. The outdoor temperature during this time reached 95 degrees, which means the temperature inside the car was more than 120 degrees.

Deputies removed the dog from the car through a previously damaged window that was sealed with plastic sheeting. They noted that the dog had defecated throughout the interior of the car while trapped inside.

While deputies were on the scene, the owner of the car, Amy Sitaro, 49, returned to the parking lot and told deputies she left the park around 2 p.m. to ride with her boyfriend, who was headed to Wesley Chapel to deliver food for DoorDash and Grubhub.

Sitaro said neither company allows dogs in a vehicle while the driver is working.

Animal enforcement officers arrived and took the dog in custody. The sheriff's office said Sitaro is facing charges of animal cruelty.

The Humane Society reminds pet owners that a pet should never be left in a parked car, not even with the car running and the air conditioner on.

On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels.

On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes.

After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. At those temperatures, the pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die.

Learn how to help a pet left inside a hot car by taking action or calling for help. Local law enforcement can follow this handy guide on how to proceed.