According to authorities, a guy left his tiny dog inside a heated car outside the Lauderhill Mall on Wednesday while a heat advisory was in force. The man was taken into custody.
An anonymous tip about a dog that was “left inside a non-running car for an extended period” prompted Lauderhill police officers to respond, according to an arrest record. The incident happened at the Lauderhill Mall, which is situated at 1299 N. State Rd. 7.
Police reported that when they arrived, they saw a little dog “panting excessively” inside a 2008 Hyundai Azera.
Police were able to unlock the door through the window and release the dog because the car’s front windows were slightly damaged, according to the authorities.
Investigators said that when Jonathan Colt Parker, 35, of Coconut Creek, went back to the vehicle at 2:15 p.m., he confessed to leaving the dog inside for about an hour while he went shopping.
On the other hand, authorities said that they had verified Parker’s departure from the car around 12:45 p.m. by looking through mall security footage.
According to detectives, the event happened in Broward County under a heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service due to temperatures that reached a heat index of 105 to 110 degrees.
According to authorities, a stopped car’s inside can reach 130 degrees in 45 minutes during 90-degree heat.
The dog, whose breed was not specified in the arrest report, was taken out of the car safely, according to the police, and is anticipated to make a full recovery.
According to his arrest record, Parker was detained by Lauderhill police and is charged with one count of conservation of an animal inflicting cruel, pain and suffering, or death.
As of Thursday afternoon, according to jail records, he was being held at the Broward Main Jail on a $5,000 bond.
