The Southington Police Department is taking note of people reported leaving their pets in hot cars in the summer heat, Lt. Keith Egan said at a news conference Wednesday.
In all, Southington police have received nine reports of dogs left in hot cars in the past month, Egan said. Through those nine complaints, police made three arrests on animal cruelty charges, with two announced Wednesday.
“The overall message is if you’re going to take your dog out in public and you plan to turn off your vehicle and leave it in the vehicle, leave the dog at home. Even if it’s just for five or 10 minutes,” said Southington Animal Control Officer Joshua Karabin.
Karabin said that on a day like Wednesday when temperatures are in the mid-80s, a parked, locked car can rise one degree per minute in the first 30 minutes in direct sunlight.
“On a day like today for 15 minutes, the temperature could get to 100 degrees quickly in that 15 minutes,” Karabin said. “Thirty minutes? You’re closer to 120 degrees, which would be fatal if the dog stayed in those conditions.”
Suzy Rivers, 37, of Cheshire turned herself in to Southington police on Tuesday after an incident on June 29 when she called police to report that her dog, a 1½-year-old Boston Terrier, he was inside his car parked at the Southington Library and not moving. After removing the dog from the car, police attempted to administer first aid, but were unsuccessful.
Police said Rivers’ car was parked outside in bright sunlight with an outside temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Surveillance video from the library shows Rivers entering the building shortly before noon, police said. Around 3 p.m., Rivers had a conversation with a library employee before being seen on video outside the library with another library employee, police said. Witnesses inside the library saw a library employee inside Rivers’ car and became suspicious, police said.
Witnesses told police Rivers’ back window was open about 6 inches while she was inside the library.
Southington Animal Control officers arrived and determined the temperature inside the car to be between 99 and 105 degrees. Officers also noted that Boston Terriers often experience respiratory problems and are susceptible to excessive heat.
On July 23, an officer was dispatched to Shop Rite on Queen Street for a report of a dog left in a vehicle. The weather outside was 91 degrees, police said. Officers found a Chevrolet Trailblazer parked near Shop Rite’s north entrance in direct sunlight. The vehicle was not running and the windows were only open about 1 1⁄2 inches.
An officer, realizing that the dog was in danger, unlocked the vehicle. Shortly after opening the car, the officer spoke with the dog’s owner, Salvatore Conaci, 65, of Southington, who said he thought leaving the windows open with water in the car wouldn’t be “so bad.”
Conaci is believed to have left her dog unattended in the car for about 15 to 25 minutes, police said. The Southington animal control officer estimated the temperature inside the car to be between 100 and 105 degrees.
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This was the third incident in July involving Conaci, police said. On July 8, police received a call at the Ocean State Job Lot and another call on July 19 at Aldi, reporting a dog was left in a vehicle. In those previous incidents, Conaci returned and moved the car before police arrived.
Police also arrested a Wilton woman Monday for leaving her dog in her car June 30 while visiting a nursing home in the city. Witnesses reported the dog had been inside the vehicle for at least 25 minutes with both front windows open 2 to 3 inches, according to police.
Egan said none of the people arrested intended to harm their pets, and all took some steps to keep them cool, such as leaving water on and opening the windows a little.
“We find that most of these people really care about their pets and their intent is not to harm them,” Karabin said. “They go everywhere with them.”
She also said they recognize that people often see their pets as family members and take them places, but advised residents to keep them at home if they go somewhere that doesn’t allow pets.
Rivers was charged with cruelty to animals, police said Wednesday. She was released on $15,000 unsecured bail and is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Aug. 3.
Conaci was issued a misdemeanor citation for animal cruelty, police said. He was released on $2,500 unsecured bail and was scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Aug. 4.
