Dog locked in hot car
Indianapolis, IN (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jun 21, 2007
County: Marion
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Joshua Williams
» Charlene Winfield
An Indianapolis couple is denying police allegations that they left their dog alone in a hot vehicle for more than 15 minutes this week.
Joshua Williams, 23, and Charlene Winfield, 20, face misdemeanor charges of animal neglect after an officer spotted their dog panting and barking in the cab of a pickup truck at about 11:50 a.m. on the Far Northside.
Officer Brian Schemenaur said Williams and Winfield left the dog unattended in the Ford Ranger for more than 15 minutes in the parking lot of the Comfort Inn & Suites, 9090 Wesleyan Road.
Williams and Winfield told The Star Thursday their Chihuahua, Reese, was in the vehicle for less than 10 minutes while they filled out job applications at the hotel. The truck, they said, was parked in the shade and had two cups of water inside in case Reese got thirsty.
"Almost everybody I know that has dogs, when they go to the store, they leave the dogs in the car," Winfield said. "She's not neglected at all. She's a beautiful, happy dog."
Schemenaur, according to a police report, spotted the dog while he was checking on the status of a registered sex offender who resides in the area. The animal was barking and panting heavily. The vehicle was not running and the driver's side window was cracked about two inches, the report said.
Schemenaur checked the time on his pager, checked up on the sex offender then returned about 15 minutes later to find the dog still inside the vehicle, according to the report, which said the temperature was 87 degrees.
When Williams and Winfield returned, Schemenaur issued them a court summons and let them take Reese home.
"He was seriously about to arrest me," Williams said. "My girlfriend was crying."
Winfield and Williams insist that Reese was never in danger. Winfield said she does not regret leaving her dog in the vehicle and said she does not understand why the police made a big deal out of a minor incident.
"I love her to death. That's my baby. I love taking her places with me," Winfield said. "I really just don't understand."
Williams and Winfield will have to appear before a Marion County judge to answer to the charges, which carry a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. No court date has been scheduled. References
« More cases in Marion County, IN
|
