A mother and daughter from Bridgewater appeared in Brockton District Court Wednesday for an arraignment on charges in connection with the deaths of their two dogs, who prosecutors say were left in a hot car for more than an hour.
Lisa Smith, 59, and Rachel Smith, 33, are each charged with one count each of cruelty to animals and confinement of an animal in a motor vehicle causing exposure to extreme heat or cold, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said in a statement. At the arraignment, both women pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance. Prosecutors had sought $5,000 cash bail.
As conditions of their release, both women must undergo mental health evaluations, must not own or possess any animals, and must avoid unsupervised contact with animals, Cruz’s office said.
On the afternoon of July 16, Bridgewater police responded to reports of two women in an “agitated state” outside a building on Heather Lane. There, police found two dead dogs.
Police say they determined the dogs had died after being left in a car with no open windows and no air conditioning for more than 90 minutes. Lisa Smith is accused of putting the dogs in her car after they had been “causing a ruckus.”
Prosecutors say the women left the home in another car to run errands. Before they left, prosecutors say the women had a “clear view” of the car the dogs were trapped in.
When they returned home hours later, neither woman attempted to contact law enforcement, prosecutors said. First responders determined the car the dogs were discovered in had reached temperatures of at least 130.
Both women are scheduled to return to court on Dec. 4.
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