Woman Arrested for Animal Cruelty After Dog Dies Inside Hot Car

Two other animals "under heavy distress" were also found inside the car

A woman in Ontario was arrested for animal cruelty after a dog died when it was left inside a car that reached triple-digit temperatures.

Police arrested Jennifer Arriaga on Sunday after finding the dead dog, as well as another dog and a cat, which were described as being "under heavy distress," inside a parked car on the 3400 block of Shelby Street, according to the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA.

Temperatures inside the car were "over 113 degrees" when officers broke a window to get to the animals, the organization said. "It is unknown how long the animals were left to suffer inside the parked vehicle," they said.

The dead dog was taken to the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA, where a necropsy will determine the cause of death, the organization said. The surviving dog and cat were treated by emergency veterinarians and are being cared for by the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA, pending an investigation, the organization said.

Arriaga faces three counts of felony animal cruelty. The Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA advises pet owners that animals can die or suffer long-term health effects like brain damage in less than 15 minutes when left inside a hot car.

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