It’s summer time and it’s extremely hot; triple-digit heat is no joke. So it will come as no surprise to most people that puppies cannot survive the heat without water. It may, however, come as a surprise that one dog owner from Phoenix, Arizona, didn’t take this seriously.
She left her one adult dog and four puppies outside under the raging sun with no water. After a neighbor alerted the authorities, the dogs were rescued by the Arizona Humane Society. Tragically, it was too late for one of the exhausted, dehydrated pups, which didn’t make it.
On the day the puppies were rescued, the temperature hit a high of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).
The dogs’ owner, 38-year-old Ruby Maude Marlow, had a shocking response when officials questioned her about the dogs’ state. She informed them that she had checked on her dogs in the morning; they had “about a gallon of water,” she recalled. However, she added that the dogs were prone to knocking over their bowls of water.
That sounds about right, doesn’t it? Puppies are playful; getting their paws and snouts a little wet would be the perfect antidote to a scorching-hot day. Marlow didn’t think so, so she left their water bowls empty.
Officials advised the negligent owner that she should have left multiple containers of water outside for her dogs. She knew that they would be likely to play and either willingly or accidentally knock them over.
“I don’t think they even cared,” commented one of Marlow’s neighbors, who preferred not to be identified. “They really shouldn’t have had puppies.”
When officials arrived, police immediately noticed that one of the puppies was in alarmingly poor condition. The distressed and dehydrated pup was rushed to Second Chance Animal Hospital in “critical condition.” Despite the best efforts of the veterinary team on site, the damage had been done. The little one didn’t make it.
Marlow was arrested on July 2, 2019, on charges of animal cruelty. She also surrendered her four remaining dogs, one adult and three puppies, to the Arizona Humane Society.
One puppy also showed signs of malnourishment and needed to gain weight under the supervision of the veterinary team. It will be a long road to recovery for this sweet, neglected family of dogs, but they are finally in safe hands.
The Arizona Humane Society has not yet revealed when the dogs will be up for adoption. Their first priorities are nursing all the dogs back to full health and helping the authorities with their case against Marlow.
“Sickening,” Marlow’s neighbor added, speaking the minds of thousands. “I can’t even fathom why they would do that.” Neither can we. Justice for the pups won’t bring their lost sibling back of course, but it may help to raise awareness.
Let’s do everything we can to create a safer climate for these vulnerable creatures in the future.
