Woman Left 8-Week Old Kittens In Hot Car: SPCA

RIDGE, NY —A Ridge woman was charged with confining two 8-week old kittens in a hot car, the Suffolk County SPCA said.

On Tuesday, Suffolk County SPCA detectives charged a Kimberly McKinley, 23, with confinement of companion animals in a vehicle in extreme temperatures; Ridge was charged with keeping her two kittens in her car, a violation.

The SPCA said they received a call Tuesday morning from MTA Police that kittens had been left in a vehicle at the Ronkonkoma train station.

The temperature outside at the time was 81 degrees at 9 a.m., the SPCA said. The kittens were left unattended in the car from 2 a.m. in the morning until the time the incident was reported at 9 a.m., the SPCA said. The kittens were removed from the vehicle and transported to Brookhaven Animal Shelter, the SPCA said.

McKinley is scheduled to appear in First District Court in Central Islip on September 16, the SPCA said.

"The Suffolk County SPCA has been continuously reminding people that leaving an animal in a car can lead to a tragedy," the SPCA said in a release. "Many animals left in vehicles unattended have died from complications of exposure. Animals have a hard time staying cool, leaving them extremely vulnerable to heatstroke and or death. Avoid this unnecessary tragedy."

SPCA Chief Roy Gross said that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. Anyone who witnesses any incident of animal cruelty or neglect in Suffolk County, or has any information about any cases, is asked to contact the Suffolk County SPCA at (631) 382-7722. All calls will be kept confidential.