A Towamencin man has been found guilty of neglect of an animal after he left his dog unattended inside of a vehicle while grocery shopping in early August.
The 62-year-old man entered a not guilty plea to the summary charge — otherwise known as a non-traffic citation — and requested a hearing in front of District Judge Suzan Leonard, which was held on Monday. An assistant district attorney with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office presented their case, witnesses from the scene testified on behalf of the prosecution, and ultimately Judge Leonard found the man guilty of neglect of an animal.
As a result of the hearing, the man was fined $100 plus court costs and received a stern warning from Judge Leonard regarding properly taking care of a dog.
Police were dispatched to the 1500 block of Valley Forge Road at 2:51 p.m. on Aug. 4 for a report of a dog left unattended in a vehicle. Upper Gwynedd Police Chief David Duffy and Canine Officer Ed Tartar arrived at the scene and spoke with several concerned citizens who stated there was a dog in a late-model Hyundai sedan that had been left unattended for at least 10 minutes prior to police arrival.
Police said the vehicle was not running and the windows were only partially open. Inside of the vehicle was a tan pit bull that was panting heavily. The temperature at the time was 95 degrees with a heat index of 104 degrees, according to police.
According to the release, police used their batons to hit the unlock button inside of the vehicle to gain access to the interior, noting the air inside the vehicle was noticeably hotter than the 95-degree air outside. After gaining access, police said they moved the dog to a shaded area and provided it with water.
The dog’s owner emerged from the store with a cart of groceries several minutes later, police said. After assessing the dog and determining it was no longer in distress, police released the dog back to the owner.
“We are glad that this dog did not suffer serious injury or illness in this incident,” police said. “However, as was explained to its owner, that was certainly a possibility, and he should have never left the dog unattended in this hot weather condition.”
The name of the man is being withheld as the level of charge does not meet the criteria for public release.
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