Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office Nets PETA Award for Saving Dog From Hot Car

Dog Freed From 106-Degree Vehicle; Guardian Issued Cruelty Summons

For Immediate Release:
July 27, 2015

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Courtesy of PETA, a Compassionate Action Award is on its way to the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office after it rushed to the county’s courthouse parking lot on Tuesday in response to a report that a dog had been left inside a parked car in the sweltering heat. As outdoor temperatures climbed to 87 degrees—and the heat inside the car reached 106 degrees—Sgt. Marcy Armstrong and Security Systems Coordinator Robert Conte rescued the dog, named Lucas, and provided him with water and shade. Lucas was soon returned to his guardian, who was issued a summons for cruelty to animals.

“If the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office hadn’t stepped in, this little dog could have endured an agonizing death,” says PETA Senior Director Colleen O’Brien. “Every summer, many more dogs die horrific, preventable deaths in hot cars, and that’s why PETA calls on bystanders to act quickly when a dog is left inside a car during hot months—even if the windows are cracked.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—joins the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office in reminding all dog guardians never to leave any animal inside a parked car. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

The Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office will receive a framed certificate and a box of delicious vegan cookies. For more information, please visit PETA.org.