CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A Clay County woman is facing an animal cruelty charge after deputies said a dog was left inside a hot vehicle outside an Orange Park restaurant over Memorial Day weekend.
According to a Clay County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies responded around 6:30 p.m. on May 25 to Texas Roadhouse on Blanding Boulevard after receiving an animal complaint.
Deputies located a dog inside a vehicle and requested assistance from the agency’s K-9 unit, according to the report. Using a laser temperature reader, a K-9 deputy measured the vehicle’s interior at 99 degrees and the dog’s temperature at 104 degrees.
The dog’s owner, an 82-year-old Middleburg woman, was issued a Notice to Appear on a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty.
Deputies determined there was probable cause for the charge after investigating the incident, according to the sheriff’s office. The case was cleared by arrest, though the owner was not booked into jail and was instead released on the Notice to Appear.
The report did not indicate whether the dog required veterinary treatment.
The incident comes days after Nassau County deputies rescued a dog that had been trapped inside a vehicle in a separate case, highlighting the dangers pets can face as temperatures rise across Florida.
Related: Summer pet safety
Nassau County dog trapped in vehicle offers Pet Preparedness Month reminder
Deputies said the dog was rescued and not injured
Animal welfare experts warn that temperatures inside parked vehicles can increase rapidly, even when outside temperatures do not seem extreme. According to the ASPCA, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach over 100 degrees in just 10 minutes, creating dangerous conditions for dogs left inside.
Anyone who sees an animal in apparent distress inside a vehicle should contact local law enforcement or animal control authorities immediately.
The case remains pending in Clay County court.
