Dog dies locked in hot car Portsmouth, NH (US) Incident Date: Friday, Aug 3, 2007 County: Rockingham Local Map: available Disposition: Not Charged Abuser names unreleased

Case ID: 11919 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in NH (US) Login to Watch this Case

A Chihuahua died Friday after being left in a closed vehicle outside of Home Depot in 95-degree weather.

"We're investigating this as a prolonged exposure to heat inside the vehicle," said Capt. David "Lou" Ferland.

Police received a call from Home Depot at 2:23 p.m. Friday that the dog was in trouble. The owner had come running into Home Depot with the dog and had thrown cold water on it and put it in front of a fan in an attempt to revive it, Ferland said. By the time police arrived, the dog and owner were gone.

The owner had taken the dog to a local animal hospital where it was pronounced dead.

Ferland said the dead Chihuahua was between 4 and 5 years old.

Ferland declined to name the owner of the Chihuahua since the investigations of both are ongoing. "Charges could be brought," he said.

"It is criminal when we can show a protracted cruelty to the animal," Ferland said. "Cruelty to animals is a universal charge that we apply to animals that are left inside closed areas without proper ventilation.

"There is a duty of care that is expected of people who have domesticated pets, just like there is a duty of care for a parent to their child. ... If you breach that duty of care, that is criminally wrong, and I think morally wrong."

Ferland said the city's animal control officer is on annual leave and the cases are pending until her return. Meanwhile, the department has consulted with the animal cruelty investigator at the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals regarding both cases.

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References

SeaCoastOnline - Aug 6, 2007

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