Case Report

Palm Springs police have charged a man with animal cruelty, after they say he left two dogs locked inside a car for 6 hours in sweltering triple digit temperatures. Police say 2 large dogs were left inside a car with no water, and with just the windows slightly cracked. 1 dog survived, the other did not.

"Both dogs suffered extreme heat exposure."

Sergeant Dennis Graham says police received a call about 10:30 Tuesday night that two rottweilers had been left inside a car while their owner was inside a Palm Springs restaurant. Police say a security guard reported seeing the dogs as early as 4:30, sticking their noses against the cracked window for air. By the time police arrived, they say the owner had returned to the car only to find one of his dogs barely alive.

Police say the owner tried to cool the dog down in this fountain, but after 6 hours in this heat, it was too late.

"The owner was distraught. He had been drinking and forgot what he was doing," says Sergeant Graham.

The dog's owner, Michael Parker of Rancho La Quinta, was arrested then later released. He was able to take his other dog home.

Doctor Mindy Byers at Desert Animal Hospital knows first hand what happens to a pet left in a sweltering car. "Their body temp goes up, their organs shut down. They can have seizures and you can lose them in a short time."

Doctor Byers says a pet left in a car can die in 5 or 10 minutes, even if he has a water dish and the car windows are cracked.

News Channel 3 decided to see just how hot it can get. They left a thermometer in the car for one hour, and one hour later, it read 130 degrees.

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