Dog left in hot car, resulting in death
Sioux Falls, SD (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Jul 31, 2004
County: Minnehaha

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Dismissed

Person of Interest: Rachel Romey

A misdemeanor charge of inhumane treatment of an animal has been dismissed against a Belle Fourche woman who was accused of leaving a dog in a hot car where it died.

Police said in late July that Rachel Romey, 19, left the 50-pound Shar-Pei in a car for at least 12 hours on a day when the temperature hit 90 degrees.

She and her lawyer, Matt Kinney of Spearfish, said Monday the charge was dropped because it was her parents' dog and she wasn't responsible for it at the time.

"It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my dog," Romey said. "I just want my name cleared, basically."

The Butte County state's attorney could not be reached for comment on whether anyone else will be charged.

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