Animal Abuse: Dog left in hot car by veterinarian - Sacramento, CA

Cruelty Database » Case Details

Case Snapshot

Case ID: 18631

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

More cases in Sacramento County, CA

More cases in CA

Person(s) in animal care

« Back to Search Results

Login to Watch this Case

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

CONVICTED: Was justice served?

Please vote on whether or not you feel the sentence in this case was appropriate for the crime. (Be sure to read the entire case and sentencing before voting.)

weak sentence = one star
strong sentence = 5 stars

more information on voting

When you vote, you are voting on whether or not the punishment fit the crime, NOT on the severity of the case itself. If you feel the sentence was very weak, you would vote 1 star. If you feel the sentence was very strong, you would vote 5 stars.

Please vote honestly and realistically. These ratings will be used a a tool for many future programs, including a "Peoples Choice" of best and worst sentencing, DA and judge "report cards", and more. Try to resist the temptation to vote 1 star on every case, even if you feel that 100 years in prison isnt enough.

Currently 2.40/5
1
2
3
4
5

Case #18631 Rating: 2.4 out of 5

Dog left in hot car by veterinarian
Sacramento, CA (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Sep 18, 2011
County: Sacramento

Charges: Summary
Disposition: Civil penalty imposed

Defendant/Suspect: Kate S. Freeman, DVM

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

It's happen almost a dozen times at Arden Fair Mall this summer: dogs, left in a sweltering car while their owners shop- sometimes for hours.

A veterinarian will tell you leaving a dog in those conditions will likely cause stress, and possibly kill it.

But not if that veterinarian is Kate S. Freeman. When reporters went to ask her about the citation she got for doing exactly that, she turned right around and sped off in the opposite direction.

"This is ridiculous," a reporter called after her. "I just have a few questions to ask you. Questions you should be able to answer because you're a veterinarian."

But Freeman ignored the reporter.

On Sunday, she was issued a citation and given a $500 fine for leaving her Great Dane "Addy" in the parking lot of Arden Fair Mall while she went inside to shop. Reports have her inside for about an hour, with the car temperature ending up at 108 degrees.

Freeman is a resident at the UC Davis small animal hospital.

Case Updates

The controversy isn't about who let the dog out but who locked it in a hot car at the Arden Fair mall - a UC Davis veterinarian.

Kate Freeman was fined $500 by the city of Sacramento and has faced some sharp criticism after the mall's security team found Addy, her Great Dane, locked in her car in the mall's parking lot on Sunday.

In an interview with The Bee Friday, Freeman said she regrets the incident, but added that she took every precaution to ensure the safety of Addy.

The dog did not require medical attention, and university officials say they will not take action against her.

"As a vet, I know that leaving a dog in the car can be a serious issue," Freeman said. "I feel terrible that this happened. I love animals."

Dogs left in cars - a potentially life-threatening situation - has been an all too common occurrence in Sacramento this summer, despite the mild weather or perhaps because of it.

Earlier this summer, a Rancho Cordova woman was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty following the death of her 6-month-old dog found locked inside a hot car in a Folsom parking lot.

Sacramento's animal control department has recorded 145 reports of dogs being locked in cars since Jan. 1, and the staff at Arden Fair says it has pulled a dozen dogs from hot cars this summer.

On Sunday, Freeman had parked her Toyota SUV at Arden Fair at 2:15 p.m., according to Steve Reed, the mall's security chief, who reviewed videotapes of the parking lot.

At 3 p.m., a member of Reed's staff who was patrolling the parking lot for suspicious activity noticed the Great Dane. Using a remote thermometer, the security staff determined the temperature inside the car was 108 degrees and called the Fire Department.

The outside temperature peaked at 93 degrees at 4:03 p.m. that day, according to the National Weather Service.

"The windows were not down, they are cracked an inch or so. That doesn't stop the heat from building up," Reed said.

Within minutes, the Fire Department opened the car, he said. His account has Freeman returning to her car at 3:45 p.m.

Both Reed and city animal control officers said Freeman identified herself as a veterinarian and was argumentative.

Freeman was contrite Friday. She said she rescued Addy to console herself after her father died in a plane crash last summer.

The 33-year-old veterinarian, who has two other dogs, said she has been lavishing attention on the young dog. She said she made a bad decision to take Addy with her, rather than leaving her crated at home.

Freeman said she "took every precaution" - parking in the shade and leaving the windows partially open - to ensure Addy's safety. She also points out that Addy never required medical attention and was not in distress. She said the windows were left open 6 inches.

The director of the UC Davis Veterinary School offered his support for Freeman.

"Dr. Freeman is a very caring, conscientious and competent veterinarian who cares very much about the welfare of not only her dog, but all her patients," said David Wilson, director of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. "The last thing she would want to do is put her dog (or any other animal) at risk."

Source: sacbee.com - Sep. 24, 2011
Update posted on Sep 24, 2011 - 10:57AM

Back to Top

References

« Back to Search Results
« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Sacramento County, CA

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.

Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy

Dog left in hot car by veterinarianSacramento, CA (US)

Case Updates

References

Dog left in hot car by veterinarian
Sacramento, CA (US)