A woman was arrested for animal cruelty on July 9 after Ontario, California, police found three animals, 2 dogs and a cat, left in an abandoned parked car.
After officers arrived at the scene they found one dog already dead from the excruciating heat, and a second dog and cat alive, but in heavy distress. Officers broke through the window and began to treat the animals as quickly as they could.
The police received help from Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA officers, a private nonprofit animal welfare organization, which helped the police locate the three animals that were abandoned.
The inhumane incident occurred at the 34,000 block of Shelby Street in Ontario, according to a press release by the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA.
The woman, identified as Jennifer Arriaga faces three counts of felony animal cruelty charges (Penal Code 597-B)
The temperature inside the vehicle was found to be over 113 degrees. It is unknown how long the animals were left to suffer inside the parked vehicle. But it’s not hard to imagine the intense pain and suffering the animals went through.
The dog and cat will continue to be treated and cared for at the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA pending the investigation.
Pets are not the only victims of car heatstroke deaths. Summer in America is a dangerous time for parents and their babies as well. There have been numerous instances across the country where parents have forgotten their children in the car, often resulting in tragedy.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 19 children have died so far this year in the United States after they were left in a hot car. The most recent, an 11-month old infant died after being left in a hot car for hours on Tunnel Boulevard in Hamilton County, Tennessee, Times Free Press reports.
The Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA reminds all pet owners not to leave animals in hot cars because animals can suffer long-term health effects such as brain damage or death in less than 15 minutes.
