Tennessee woman left dog in car while she went to Clearwater beach: police
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A woman from Tennessee was accused of leaving her dog in the car while she went to the beach.
Clearwater police were called to Pier 60 where a large pit bull was left in a car parked in the sun with the windows cracked about two inches, according to the arrest report.
It was about 90 degrees outside at the time.
Police said the dog “appeared to be falling asleep and was sweating profusely.” It did not have an adequate amount of water and police reported that the little it did have was hot to the touch.
“Based on the totality of circumstances, forced entry was made to the vehicle to save the animal,” the arrest report stated. “The defendant left her dog inside the vehicle for approximately 30-40 minutes.”
Police identified the owner as Marie Rutherford, 40, of Nashville, Tennessee.
According to Clearwater police, the owner admitted to leaving the dog in the car while she went to the beach and said she thought it would be fine in the car because it had water.
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