Two Mass. women charged with animal cruelty after dogs die in hot car

Two women are facing charges after two dogs died in a hot car in Bridgewater Wednesday afternoon, police announced Thursday.

Two Bridgewater women, one age 59 and the other age 32, were charged with cruelty to animals and confinement of an animal in a motor vehicle causing exposure to extreme heat, Bridgewater police said in a press release.

On July 16, officers responded to 911 calls reporting that two women were screaming and crying outside a condo building on Heather Lane around 4:35 p.m., police said. At the scene, officers noticed two medium-sized dogs lying on the ground near the home. Both dogs were determined to be dead.

Officers’ investigation into the matter indicated that the two women had left the dogs in a car for more than 90 minutes, police said. The car’s windows were closed and the car’s air condition was off while the dogs were in the car. Bridgewater firefighters determined that the temperature inside the car was at least 130 degrees.

The investigation also revealed that the dogs had been living in unsanitary conditions inside the home, police said. Bridgewater Animal Control took custody of the dogs and transported them to an animal medical center for a necropsy.

“This is a heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedy,” Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte said in the release. “No pet should ever be left in a vehicle on a warm day in direct sunlight — even for a few minutes.”

Delmonte reminds residents that the air temperature inside a car can rise to deadly levels in a matter of minutes — even when a car’s windows are slightly open.

“We urge everyone to think twice and take the necessary steps to protect their pets from extreme heat,” he said.

The two women are being summonsed to Brockton District Court to face the charges, police said.