A Nashville woman was apprehended by Florida authorities following the rescue of her dog from a hot car at a beach.
Police charged Marie Rutherford, 40, with animal cruelty for leaving her dog in her parked car while she sunbathed on Clearwater Beach, authorities stated.
On Tuesday, a Nashville woman was apprehended in Florida for leaving her dog in a hot car while she visited the beach.
A woman, 40, was arrested for animal cruelty after her dog was rescued from a hot car in a Clearwater Beach parking lot, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
On Tuesday at 4:45 p.m., Clearwater police officers were called to the parking lot due to a report of an animal in distress, according to the outlet.
Upon reaching the car, which was positioned in the sun with an outside temperature of approximately 90 degrees, officers observed a pitbull resting in the back seat.
According to Clearwater police, the dog in the car was panting, sweating profusely, and appeared to be in distress and falling asleep, despite the windows being cracked about two or three inches.
A bodycam video revealed an officer breaking the front passenger window of a car to unlock the doors and rescue a dog. Another officer was seen caring for the dog and providing it with fresh water.
The police reported that there was some water for the dog in the car, but it was warm and not a substantial amount.
According to an affidavit viewed by FOX 13, Rutherford confessed to police that she was the dog's owner and believed the dog would be fine while she was at the beach because she left water in the car.
Police stated that the dog had been in the car for approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
The public bathing area at Clearwater Beach does not permit any pets, except for service animals. However, leashed dogs are allowed in the North Beach section and along the Beach Walk.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advises against leaving pets inside a car for any amount of time as the temperature can be up to 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature within 10 minutes, potentially causing a deadly heat stroke.
The ASPCA advises against cracking windows to prevent car overheating and suggests leaving pets at home when traveling to unwelcoming places.
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