Cops Charge Hudson Valley Man Who Left Dogs in Car While Movie-Going

Leaving pets locked in cars is can cause them harm faster than you think, particularly when the weather gets warmer -- It doesn't have to be hot outside for temperatures inside a car to become dangerous, and cracking a window does nothing.

On Saturday, a balmy day with above-average temperatures for March 12, New York State Police arrested a 70-year-old Mount Tremper man who they say had left two dogs in his car in full sun for three hours while he went to the movies.

Troopers were dispatched by Dutchess County 911 to the Lyceum Cinemas for a report of two dogs left in an unoccupied parked vehicle in the sun. Police said when they arrived they observed that the dogs, a husky and a bull-Mastiff, were lethargic and drooling.

(When it's 72 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature inside your car can heat up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit within an hour, according to the Humane Society of the United States.)

The trooper was hesitant to break the vehicle's window as one of the dogs was acting aggressively. The Town of Red Hook Animal Control Officer responded to the scene to assist.

Shortly after animal control was contacted, the dogs' owner exited the cinema and removed the animals from the hot car, where they had been for about three hours, police said.

After the dogs were out of the car and given water, their condition visibly improved, police said.

The owner was issued an Appearance Ticket under the Agriculture and Markets Law, for the Violation of Confinement of a Companion Animal in a Vehicle under Extreme Temperatures. He is due to appear before the Town of Red Hook Court March 24.

The Humane Society of the United States offers these tips for people who see a pet left in a hot car:

• Take down the car's make, model and license-plate number.
• If there are businesses nearby, notify their managers or security guards and ask them to make an announcement to find the car's owner.
• If the owner can't be found, call the non-emergency number of the local police or animal control and wait by the car for them to arrive.