Massachusetts man charged after leaving his dogs in his car with temperatures in the area of 120 degrees

A Massachusetts Police Department will issue a summons to appear in court to a Massachusetts man after two dogs were found in a hot vehicle Thursday.

According to Chief of Police in Cohasset William Quigley, a 56-year-old Weymouth man will be charged with two counts of Animal Cruelty. Because a criminal complaint has not yet been filed in Quincy District Court, the department cannot release the man’s name.

On Thursday at approximately 11:50 a.m., Natural Resources Officer Josh Kimball was dispatched to 380 Chief Justice Cushing Highway for a report that two dogs were in a car with the windows rolled down and no water inside. It was sunny at that time and temperatures were in the mid-80s.

Upon arrival, Officer Kimball observed that the two back passenger windows were rolled down and there was a large dog crate with two dogs inside, both young boxer mixes. Both dogs were panting heavily and salivating excessively. Officer Kimball also reached into the car through one of the open windows and found it to be extremely warm inside.

Based on these observations, Officer Kimball determined that the dogs could be suffering from heat exhaustion and was able to unlock the vehicle’s doors from the inside to retrieve the dogs. Upon transferring the dogs to his vehicle, Officer Kimball also noted that both dogs were very warm to the touch.

It is unknown how long the dogs were in the vehicle before police arrived, but the dogs were first noticed by a bystander at approximately 11:30 a.m. The estimated temperature of the air inside the vehicle when the dogs were rescued was approximately 120 degrees.

The dogs were transported to a local veterinary office for evaluation and were both found to have internal temperatures higher than normal for their breed. The dogs were kept overnight to receive further treatment but are expected to recover.

The dogs’ owner later returned to his vehicle and was informed of the situation. He will be issued a summons to be arraigned at Quincy District Court at a later date.

Quigley wants to remind pet owners to never leave pets in a vehicle on a warm day. The inside temperature of a car quickly rises and can reach over 100 degrees, even on a 70-degree day. A car can also quickly overheat even if the windows are cracked. Cohasset Police would also like to remind people to be cautious about leaving their pets in a vehicle during non-summer months, as hot weather can occur in the late spring and early fall as well.