Leaving a dog in a hot car is animal cruelty.Leaving a dog in a hot car is animal cruelty. No two ways about it.
How one man, in Texas, US, has got away with it may cause many to scratch their heads, but a judge has ruled that a puppy can go back to live with her owner.
Annabelle, an eight-week-old puppy, was left trapped inside a hot car one of the hottest days of the year, will go back to live with her abusive owner, 20-year-old Chandler Bullen, after a court ruling.
The pup was rescued after police officers broke into the car outside a Walmart after she had been trapped for 30 minutes because the owner 'didn't want to waste gas'.
Credit: Manor Police Department
According to a report by the Manor Police Department, when officers arrived they discovered the puppy in distress, crying, panting and trying to find shade beneath a rear passenger seat inside the Ford Focus. All four windows were rolled up and the sunroof was only slightly opened.
Temperatures outside the car were around 100F (almost 38C). To prove how hot it can get in a car, one animal-loving woman recently filmed herself sat inside a car with a thermometer so we could see how hot it could get.She can be seen struggling to breathe and is sweating a lot.
As the dashcam footage shows, the police reach in through the sunroof with a wheel nut wrench to press the unlock function on the doors and rescue the struggling dog.
Credit: Manor Police Department
In addition to this, the police noticed that the puppy had fleas, several lesions, and appeared to be in poor condition.
When Bullen returned to his vehicle, officers were giving the dog water, while the owner explained that he'd only been inside the store for half an hour. His reasoning was that he didn't want to waste his gas either driving the puppy home or leaving the air con on.
Bullen was arrested on a single charge of Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals, a Class A misdemeanour, after he 'knowingly and intentionally failed unreasonably to provide necessary shelter and water for an animal in his custody'.
In a hearing on Thursday, a Manor Municipal Court judge ruled that Bullen could keep ownership of Annabelle.
Since last Saturday, when she was rescued, Annabelle has been at the Austin Animal Centre for treatment. She will be released to Bullen when he pays fees totalling around $200 (£151).
Bullen will also have to appear back in court in 30 days' time, along with Annabelle, to prove that the dog has also been to a vet.
Featured Image Credit: Manor Police DepartmentTopics: Animal Cruelty, Dogs