ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Two people were charged after they left their dog in a car and went into the zoo.
According to Asheboro Police Department records, on Saturday they responded to the North Carolina Zoo after being called about a dog being left in a vehicle. At the scene, they were joined by zoo staff and they “observed a very disgruntled white and black dog” inside a car with the windows slightly cracked.
The dog was panting and reactive to the officers. It was 86 degrees outside and officials reported that the inside of the car was between 104 and 122.
They got in touch with the owners and let the dog out of the car. The dog was put in the animal control vehicle with the air conditioning on and a fresh bowl of water.
Forty-five minutes after getting in touch with the owners, they arrived on the scene. The owners of the dog, who are from Virginia, said they got to the zoo at 12:30 p.m. and left a bowl of water for the dog, claiming they didn’t know how long it took to walk the zoo. Officers did find a bowl in the car, but it was empty.
The dog’s owner was cited for animal cruelty. They were asked to leave the zoo and the dog was released to their custody after it was able to cool off.
