Dog found dead from heat exhaustion in car

A man may be facing charges for neglect of a vertebrate animal, a Class A misdemeanor, after he found his dog had died from heat exhaustion.

Police responded Thursday to 3409 S. Walnut St. after receiving a call from Animal Control in regards to the situation.

According to the Bloomington Police Department, a 27-year-old man had taken his two dogs to work with him at Blooming Paws, a local pet-care facility.

He reportedly let both dogs play outside of the car before learning he could only take one of the dogs inside. He then put the larger dog, a 14-month-old German shepherd, named Hugo, back into his 2006 Ford Taurus.

The dog remained in the vehicle for almost five hours.

The man returned to his car to check on his dog only to find that the dog was not breathing and that he had forgotten to roll the windows down.

It was about 87 degrees outside.

In an interview with the BPD, a female co-worker reported that Hugo’s owner appeared panicked and upset about the incident.

Upon examining the dog and confirming that he was deceased, the co-worker helped the owner remove him from the car and place him in the freezer at Blooming Paws.

The BPD would like to warn people that animals should never be left unattended inside vehicles for extensive periods of time, even if the windows are rolled down. In warm weather, vehicles are often hotter than the outside temperature.

Brian Seymour