Dog Dies After Being Left In Hot Car In JP, Police To Release Charges

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA — Tuesday afternoon during the hotter part of the day a dog left in a hot car came into the MSPCA-Angell in JP and died shortly after, a spokesperson at Angell confirmed.

"It's truly awful," said Rob Halpin of the MSPCA. "For all intensive purposes it looks like this was a really well cared for dog. Just not yesterday."

Police told Patch they were about to release charges, but did not specify what those looked like. Those close to the case said the owner could be facing felony animal cruelty charges for leaving the Pitt Bull mix in a pickup truck during the heat of the day. When the dog came to the MSPCA hospital just down the street, he was no longer conscious, said Halpin.

Typically what you do in a case of heat stroke or heat exhaustion for animals such as a dog is to cool the animal down with water or a cool towel.

"But the temperature of this dog had reached 109 plus," said Halpin. "At 105 to 106, a dog with that kind of temperature has in almost every case suffered irreparable brain damage."

Halpin said that emergency CPR had no impact and the dog, and it died within moments of arrival.

A conviction would mean he could face up to seven years in prison and fines.

Boston inspection Animal Protective Services began investigating the incident yesterday said Halpin.

Boston Inspectional Services told WCVB they received a call for a dog left in a car on Burroughs Street near the Jamaica Pond Tuesday afternoon. Boston Police helped rush the dog to Angell Memorial Hospital.

Officials told WCVB the dog was possibly a pit bull and had a temperature of 109 degrees. An autopsy will be done on the dog this week and police may issue a fine to the car owner.

"Investigators are not releasing the dog owner's name, but said he is from California and works in Massachusetts," reported WCVB.

Read the full WCVB article here.

Don't leave animals in cars in the summer

Just last year the MSPCA-Angell and the Animal Rescue League of Boston along with law enforcement officers, animal advocates, and other entities, worked together to pass “An Act Preventing Animal Suffering and Death,” according to the MSPCA's website.

The law, now in effect, gives professional first responders the authority to remove an animal from a car and cite the owner when extreme heat (or cold) is reasonably likely to threaten the animal’s health or safety. It also allows - in certain circumstances - the public to help an animal in a car.

Saving a Pet in Distress

“The law dictates very specific steps before intervening. The very first thing a person should do if they see a pet inside a locked car on a warm day is to call the police—then try to find the owner of the animal,” said MSPCA-Angell Advocacy Director Kara Holmquist in a statement. “As a last resort, and if the animal is in immediate danger, the new law allows a person to remove the pet from the vehicle.”

Nadine Pellegrini, who directs the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s advocacy efforts, agreed.

“Giving police and concerned citizens the legal ability - following protocols set out in the law - to respond quickly and retrieve an animal will definitely save lives,” she said according to the MSPCA website and stressed the best approach is to guide law enforcement directly to the car as quickly as possible.

When Temps Rise, Every Second Counts
The inside of a car can soar to 100 degrees in as little as 10 minutes on an 80 degree day, according to the MSPCA, even if the windows are slightly open. Animals left inside can die quickly if they are unable to cool themselves.

“The best advice we could ever offer would be to simply leave our pets at home to avoid any possibility that they could end up stuck inside the car,” said Cambridge's Director of Animal Control Mark McCabe in a press release on the topic.

If you find an animal in heat distress, officials recommend immediately taking the animal to a shady spot. If possible, cool the animal by dousing them completely with water or placing them in cool water. An owner, law enforcement official or first responder should take the distressed pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible, according to the MSPCA.

More information about “An Act Preventing Animal Suffering and Death” go here: www.mspca.org/hotcars.