2 women arraigned on animal cruelty charges after dogs die in hot car

Two Bridgewater women pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges in relation to their dogs dying in a hot car.

Lisa Smith, 59, and Rachel Smith, 33, were each charged with cruelty to an animal and confining an animal in a motor vehicle in extreme heat or cold, according to court documents. The women are mother and daughter, WCVB reports.

Back on July 16, Bridgewater police responded to reports that two women were screaming and crying outside of a condo building on Heather Lane.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers observed two deceased dogs near the concrete steps of a home.

Police determined that the two women left the dogs in a car for more than 90 minutes without an open window or air conditioning. The internal car temperature reached at least 130 degrees, police say.

“This is a heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedy. No pet should ever be left in a vehicle on a warm day in direct sunlight, even for a few minutes,” Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte said in a statement at the time.

Upon further investigation, police found that the dogs were living in unsanitary conditions inside the home.

The women are out on personal recognizance with the condition of undergoing mental health evaluations and not possessing or having unsupervised contact with animals, court documents say.

Both women are set to reappear in Brockton District Court on Dec. 4 for a pre-trial hearing, according to the documents.

Want to leave a comment?

Create an Account Or sign in to your account

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

To comment, please verify your email address

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com