Two People Arrested for Leaving Dog in Hot Car

Zachary Stieber
By Zachary Stieber
May 29, 2019US News
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Two People Arrested for Leaving Dog in Hot Car
A dog was freed from a vehicle in Savannah, Georgia, on May 25, 2019. (Savannah Police Department)

Two Georgia residents were arrested for allegedly leaving their dog in a hot car over the weekend.

Katherine Gelser and Gurpreet Singh allegedly left their animal inside their car, which was turned off, and walked into a Target in Savannah on May 25, the Savannah Police Department said.

A police report obtained by WSAV said a witness told police officers that they saw the dog panting and barking.

After it was freed from the vehicle, the dog was transported to an animal shelter. Gelser and Singh later went there to retrieve the animal.

Gelser and Singh were arrested and charged with cruelty to animals.

The police department showed a picture on Facebook indicating the temperature was 93 degrees Fahrenheit on the day the dog was found. It showed the dog drinking water near the car after it was freed.

“Yesterday, officers arrested two individuals who left their dog locked in a car while it was in the 90s. It’s going to get extremely hot these next couple of days. Please DO NOT leave pets or children in cars unattended,” the department stated.

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Katherine Gelser and Gurpreet Singh allegedly left their dog inside of their car, which was turned off, while the temperature was 93 degrees on May 25, 2019. (Savannah Police Department)

“If you have to stop take that few extra minutes just go to the house, put the dog where they need to be and then just go back,” Lt. Raymond Retzer with the Savannah Police Department added to WSAV. “The temperature rises so fast in such a short period of time inside a closed vehicle.”

He noted that anyone who was found leaving their animals in their vehicle could be charged. He also said that passerby who see an animal in a car should contact the police.

“We tell them to get in touch with us first because we might have a way to open a vehicle or at least attempt to contact the owner of the vehicle rather than damaging their vehicle,” said Retzer.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, temperatures can rise quickly in vehicles on hot days.

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A Labrador in a file photo. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

“The temperature inside a vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees in just 10 minutes. In 20 minutes, it can rise almost 30 degrees, and the longer you wait, the higher it goes. At 60 minutes, the temperature in a vehicle can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. Even on a 70-degree day, that’s 110 degrees inside the vehicle,” the association said in a press release.

“Even on a day that doesn’t seem hot to you, a vehicle can quickly reach a temperature that puts pets at risk of serious illness and even death. Cracking the windows makes no difference.”

People should plan ahead and sometimes make the decision to leave home without their animals, the association said.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said in a statement after the Savannah incident that people should never leave animals in hot vehicles. It said that at least 63 animals have died from hot weather since last year and there are likely more since many go unreported.

“If you see a dog left alone in a hot car, call local humane authorities or the police. Don’t leave the scene until the situation has been resolved. If the authorities are unresponsive or too slow and the dog’s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness (or several) who will back up your assessment,” it said.

“Then remove the suffering animal from the car and wait for authorities to arrive. PETA offers an emergency window-breaking hammer for help intervening in these life-or-death situations.”

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