Woman who left Dog in Car now facing felony charges
If you love animals like I do, this story makes you upset.
Recently, in Trussville, Stephanie Shae Thomas went to Walmart. Arriving at 4 in the morning, she had her dog in the backseat. She entered the store, leaving the animal in the backseat. However, she didn't return back to her car until 11 AM, leaving the animal in the backseat with no windows down and directly in the sun. Eventually, as the sun came up and the temperature began to rise, the dog's condition began to worsen. Samaritans noticed the dog inside and immediately contacted police.
Police, according to ABC 33/40, went into the store and tried to get the owner's attention by using the store's intercom, but to no avail. Officers eventually broke the window of the car, pulled the pit bull out, but it was unfortunately too late. The dog passed away due to the heat.
Using the store's surveillance cameras, authorities identified Stephanie as the owner of the car, and placed her under arrest for aggravated cruelty to animals. Her reasoning for leaving the dog in the car for so long, is that she was so preoccupied with shopping that she forgot to check on the dog. She is currently held in jail, with her bond set at $25,000.
Let this be a reminder, do not leave anything, whether it be a child or an animal, in the backseat during summer.