Man jailed after dog dies in hot car with windows rolled up, North Carolina cops say

A North Carolina man is facing felony charges after police found one of two dogs left in his car had succumbed to the heat, according to the Caldwell County Animal Enforcement.

The discovery was made just before noon on Sunday, Aug. 7, in a car parked on Pennell Street in Lenoir, police said in an Aug. 11 news release. Lenoir is about 75 miles northwest of Charlotte.

It reached 89 degrees Sunday in Lenoir, which means temperatures in the car would have been near 140 had the dogs been in the car for about 90 minutes, experts say.

“Lenoir Police Officers arrived to find two dogs locked in a vehicle with the windows rolled up and the vehicle not running,” officials said.

“Officers were able to get inside the vehicle, but unfortunately, one of the dogs died. The Lenoir Police Officers got the other dog to shade and provided water for it. Once the second dog got some water and cooled off, it quickly ran from the officers.”

The “small brown and black German shepherd mix” remains on the run, officials said.

Investigators identified the owner of the dogs as a Lenoir man, who was arrested Aug. 9 and charged with felony animal cruelty, county officials said.

“He is being held in the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department on a $3,000 secured bond,” officials said.

Caldwell County Animal Enforcement continues to search for the other dog, officials said.

“Our domestic animals are like family, and we should treat them as such by providing them a healthy environment,” Caldwell County Animal Care Enforcement Director Richard Gilligan said in the release.

“This horrible incident involving a dog is a reminder that pet ownership is a huge responsibility.”

This story was originally published August 11, 2022 at 8:15 AM with the headline "Man jailed after dog dies in hot car with windows rolled up, North Carolina cops say."