(WKYC) A small puppy is recovering after being left in a car by its owner as temperatures peaked above 90 degrees outside of her Ohio home Wednesday afternoon.
Police were notified by a woman who was out walking her dog in Sagamore Hills. She says her own dog kept barking at the car, but she couldn't see a dog inside. She told her husband, who is an officer at a neighboring police department. The message was then forwarded to Officers Tim Ellis and Tony Pistone on patrol in Sagamore Hills.
"Walking up to the car we could see all four windows were cracked about half an inch. I mean just enough to get a finger through," said Ellis.
He couldn't see the animal but did see a cage inside the car covered with blankets.
"I heard a faint whimpering. It almost sounded like a bird chirping very faintly inside the car," Ellis said. "At that point, I said: 'We need to get inside this car. There's some kind of animal in there.' And it is so extremely hot; nothing could live in there."
Officers used tools to get inside and located the dog which was barely moving. As officers prepared to head for an animal hospital, the owner showed up.
The woman told officers she was checking on the dog every 45 minutes.
With lights and sirens on, the dog was taken to Sagamore Hills Animal Hospital where veterinarians were wating.
The dog is now doing much better and won't be returned to the owner unless a judge allows it. The owner was cited for animal cruelty.
The puppy is not available for adoption at this time, pending legal proceedings.
Read more: https://on.wkyc.com/2wBLHYL
