Police are hunting for the owners of two dogs that were found dumped in a small hot cage, with little room to move.
The two dogs, named Kilo and Rosco, were found in a cage covered with a large tarp in Fayette County, Indiana. The dogs were "hot and lethargic due to the heat and lack of air flow" and confined to an extremely small area, the Connersville Police Department said in a September 5 statement.
The dogs were in the crate alongside their own feces, and movement was "nearly impossible" due to the small area.
The owners had left a note alongside the cage telling anyone who found them to take them. A bag of dog food and a small amount of water were also found inside the cage.
"The Fayette County Animal Shelter was called to retrieve both dogs and advised that they were over capacity and continue to recover abandoned dogs, while lacking the resources and facilities to properly care for them," Connersville Police Department said in a statement.
The police posted a picture of the cage in order to appeal for any information on the owners.
"We intend to investigate and present criminal charges against the owners who neglected their obligation and left these animals in very dangerous conditions," the statement said.
Neglect of dogs could be up to a Level 6 felony in Indiana, the police said.
"We ask that anyone with information about the owners of these two dogs named 'Kilo' and 'Rosco' to contact K9 Ofc. Brennan Watson between 2 p.m.-10 p.m.," the police said. "We would also like to take this opportunity to promote responsible pet ownership and to encourage those looking for a forever pet (dogs and cats) to visit the Animal Shelter and consider adoption of one of the several animals that they are currently housing."
Sadly, it is not uncommon for pets to be abandoned in this way. Often, owners will find themselves unable to care for their pets and resort to leaving them in dangerous situations like this.
Around 6.3 million companion animals, such as dogs and cats, are brought to U.S. animal shelters nationwide each year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Around 3.1 million of these are dogs.
Keeping a dog cool is extremely important as their bodies are not able to cool themselves down as quickly as humans.
The tarp that covered this cage likely made the temperatures inside incredibly suffocating for the pets.
In recent days, the temperatures in Connersville, Indiana, have been as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
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