Freetown police charge man with animal cruelty

FREETOWN -- Freetown police had to smash the window of a car to rescue a dog in distress that had been locked inside the hot vehicle for four hours.

All the windows had been completely rolled up, police said in a press release.

Seth R. Taylor, 37, of Easthampton, was charged with one felony count of animal cruelty.

At approximately 1:40 p.m. Friday, Freetown Police received a report that a dog was locked in a parked car at a construction area on Chace Road. The reporting party stated that the dog was in distress, police said.

Responding officers discovered that the dog had been left unattended inside a locked vehicle. The vehicle was not parked in the shade. There was no ventilation because all of the windows were closed. Officers also noted that there was no water inside the vehicle.

Police confirmed that the dog was in distress, panting rapidly, foaming at the mouth, and barely conscious. Police had to break the window to get to the dog and remove it from the vehicle.

The dog was unable to stand, police noted. Officers gave the dog water to drink and applied water and ice in an effort to reduce the dog’s core temperature. Police requested the assistance of the animal control officer, who transported the dog to a local animal hospital where it was found to be in serious condition.

Police determined that the dog had been left unattended for approximately four hours.

Taylor will be summoned to court.

Under the state's animal cruelty laws: A violation of this statute constitutes a felony crime. Anyone convicted under M.G.L. chapter 272, section 77 is subject to five years imprisonment in state prison, 2.5 years in the house of corrections and/or a fine of up to $2,500.

Freetown police remind everyone that parked cars quickly trap the sun’s heat. Even on a day when it is 70 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car with all the windows closed can hit 89 degrees in just 10 minutes, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

On a hot day, the temperature inside a closed car can shoot as high as 114 degrees in a short amount of time.

Leaving the windows open a crack doesn’t eliminate the danger of heatstroke or death.