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2 women facing charges after dogs die in hot car in Bridgewater
Officials determined the temperature inside the car was at least 130 degrees at the time.
Two women are facing animal cruelty charges after, police said, a pair of dogs were found dead inside a sweltering hot car Wednesday in Bridgewater.
The 59-year-old woman and a 32-year-old woman, whose names have not been released by Bridgewater police, will both be summoned to Brockton District Court on charges of cruelty to animals and confinement of an animal in a motor vehicle causing exposure to extreme heat, police said.
Police said officers responded to 9-1-1 calls around 4:35 p.m. on Wednesday that reported two women were screaming and crying outside a condo on Heather Lane. At the scene, police said, the officers found two medium-sized dogs lying on the ground near home, dead.
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Investigators determined the two women, both Bridgewater residents, left the dogs in a car for more than 90 minutes, with the windows closed and no air conditioning on, police said.
“The Bridgewater Fire Department determined the temperature inside the vehicle was at least 130 degrees,” police said.
The department said the subsequent investigation also determined the dogs were allegedly living in “unsanitary conditions” in the home.
“This is a heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedy,” Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte said in a statement. “No pet should ever be left in a vehicle on a warm day in direct sunlight, even for a few minutes. Temperatures inside a car can rise to deadly levels in a matter of minutes, even with the windows cracked. We urge everyone to think twice and take the necessary steps to protect their pets from extreme heat.”
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The deceased dogs were taken to an animal medical center for a necropsy, police said.
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