Dogs locked in hot car
Tampa, FL (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Dec 18, 2008
County: Hillsborough
Charges: Summary, Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Elena Sheppa
The wife of embattled zoo CEO Lex Salisbury was hit with animal cruelty charges Thursday, accused of leaving two dogs inside Salisbury's closed SUV while he was speaking with the zoo board about his future.
Elena Sheppa received four citations after an animal control officer approached her as she was returning to the sport utility vehicle, which was parked near the site of the special board meeting.
"Our officer asked her directly: Would you leave your child in a car with the windows cracked," said Marti Ryan, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Animal Services. "Her excuse was she was on her way to a doctor's appointment."
Sheppa and Salisbury arrived in a 1992 Nissan Pathfinder about 10:45 a.m. at Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center Tampa, near Hillsborough Avenue and the Veterans Expressway. The Lowry Park Zoo board called the meeting to review a city audit that concluded Salisbury, the zoo's president and chief executive officer, had used zoo animals, employees and equipment for personal gain. Salisbury resigned Thursday afternoon.
Sheppa, 48, declined to speak to reporters Thursday.
The dogs, a Welsh terrier and a terrier mix, were hot and panting but not overheated inside the SUV, Ryan said. They had no water or active ventilation. The temperature inside was measured at 90 degrees about 10 minutes after the doors were opened.
Ryan said the dogs had been in the Pathfinder about two hours, according to witnesses. Sheppa opened the door once when she moved the Pathfinder to an isolated area - apparently, Ryan said, after people outside the zoo board meeting noticed the dogs.
Witnesses followed Sheppa as she moved the SUV, Ryan said. They contacted animal services, and the officer arrived about 12:30 p.m.
"She noticed she was being noticed and moved to a more remote area," Ryan said.
"The dogs were not yet in complete distress, but I'm glad our officer arrived when she did."
Sheppa received two tickets for improper confinement of animals, a misdemeanor that carries a fine of $270, and two tickets for failure to have tags or vaccination records with the dogs.
"This was not a great move since it's against the law," Ryan said. "Even if she didn't think it was a problem with this being December, it is unseasonably warm right now in Florida. It was midday sun. It was overcast, and it was sunny." References |
