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Dog locked in red car at Walmart

By Billie Owens

A red car in the parking lot of Walmart allegedly has a dog locked inside with the windows rolled up this summer afternoon. A Sheriff's deputy is responding to the complaint.

UPDATE 4:13 p.m.: The deputy is going to have someone at the customer service desk inside the store page the registered owner of the car over the PA system. The car is registered to a woman in Stafford.

UPDATE 4:22 p.m.: A few minutes ago, the deputy reported "The owner has come out of Walmart and is taking the dog away." Next, the officer asked what the temperature is and a dispatcher replied: 84 degrees.

UPDATE 4:32 p.m.: Typically on these types of calls, no other information is put forth over the scanner. If a citation is issued, there's no press release about it. But we will do a follow up on this issue soon.

 

scott williams

these morons need to be put in the same car for hours I cant believe people are so stupid and ignorant IF I SEE YOUR DOG IN YOUR CAR I WILL BREAKI YOUR WINDOW BECAUSE I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING A COURT WOULD EVEN FINE ME FOR SAVING A DOG.

Jul 11, 2012, 4:26pm Permalink
Lisa Falkowski

Was the owner ticketed or turned in for animal abuse? Without repercussion, this moron will do this again. That animal deserves better. When they lock up the owner in a hot car, please put the officer inside the same car!@#

Jul 11, 2012, 4:28pm Permalink
scott williams

Is the officer really ignorant enough to ask the temperature WOW its HOT to hot for a dog to be in a car lock them both in the car....

Jul 11, 2012, 4:39pm Permalink
Lisa Falkowski

Billie - thanks for the updates and how/why info provided here; anxious to read more. This is becoming more and more common and is a big concern of mine.

Jul 11, 2012, 4:43pm Permalink
Tim Miller

@Scott - if the officer was going to write a ticket for the owner's stupidity and sadism, he'd want to have specifics to back up the ticket. "It was 84 degrees and the car was in the sun, your Honor. The interior of the car could reach 130 degrees in less than 10 minutes" would be a whole lot more persuasive than "it was hot as hell, your Honor."

Those seeing the poor dog don't need to know the temp - "hot as hell" will suffice.

Jul 11, 2012, 4:46pm Permalink
Lisa Schwab

How STUPID do you have to be to leave a dog in a HOT car. Who are these people and where did they come from? Why is it that every time we have a HOT day some JERK leaves their dog in a car?When is someone going to do something to these people to leave a message that this is NOT going to be the way things are done any more. They should go to jail or be held to some standard. PLEASE!

Jul 11, 2012, 5:30pm Permalink
Billie Owens

As for asking about the temperature, Tim is right, law enforcement has be specific with the information that they communicate in reports, etc. The officer of course knows it's hot, but just as the time of the incident must be specific, so do other details in the documentation. It's part of their job.

Jul 11, 2012, 5:49pm Permalink
Doug Yeomans

If anyone wonders how quickly the temperature rises in a vehicle, the next time you're in a lot, turn off the vehicle, roll up the windows and sit there for 10 minutes. I dare you to shoot for 15 minutes. It doesn't even matter if the windows are cracked, The interior becomes unbearably stifling. Now think about an animal wearing a fur coat and that animal can't sweat, either.

Jul 11, 2012, 6:44pm Permalink
scott williams

@ Tim--- I understand now does make sense for them to be specific. If I was him though I would have gave the window a nudge with the night stick just a little nudge. And any remark was said in defense of the little dog and not meant to offend well maybe the owner of the dog a little bit...

Jul 11, 2012, 10:36pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Unfortunately if you break someones windows, you will not only be fined but probably court ordered to pay restitution as well. It isnt fair but this is the reality of how the world works. You arent a police officer and destruction of someones personal property is not legal. Now in your shoes I personally would risk those consequences myself, especially if I saw the dog in distress.

My reasons for sayin this is I was in a situation once that made the impression on me that this is so. I was crossing a one way street in Ithaca a few years back, I had properties righ across this one way street from one another. Well I was on the phone giving work orders to a painting crew while crossing the street. A student decided to go the wrong way on the one way street and clipped my hand holding the phone, this happened in front of my employees (5 of them). The the student backed up and proceeded to threaten to kick my ass as my hand had broken his side view mirror when he clipped my hand with it. Police were called and he fled but we had his plate number. Well they caught up with him and gave a diff story.

End result in court he was given a tick for wrong way on a one way street, I was given disorderly conduct and had to pay restitution as the court believed that I struck the mirror when he nearly clipped me. Despite witnesses and such. Very unfair but that is the reality of our laws and judicial system.

Jul 11, 2012, 10:24pm Permalink
scott williams

@ Kyle Very strange for sure I guess I would have to hope for a dog loving judge.The justice system is very unsymmetrical at times that is for certain.

Jul 11, 2012, 10:33pm Permalink
Tim Miller

@Scott - I do not disagree with the nightstick method of bringing relief to the poor dog. The owner was a fool.

And please do not take my note as criticism, just a reason why. ;-)

Jul 12, 2012, 3:07pm Permalink

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