Two Bridgewater women are facing animal cruelty charges after two dogs died Wednesday after being locked in a vehicle where the temperature was at least 130 degrees, according to police.
The dogs were in a vehicle with the windows closed and no air conditioning for more than 90 minutes on Wednesday, Bridgewater police said.
The women, ages 59 and 32, were not identified by name, as the investigation is ongoing, police Chief Christopher Delmonte said during a press conference.
The women will be summoned to Brockton District Court, where each will be arraigned on charges of animal cruelty and confinement of an animal in a motor vehicle in extreme heat, police said in a press release.
At around 4:35 p.m. Wednesday, police responded to 911 calls of two hysterical women outside of a condo on Heather Lane, the press release said.
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Upon arrival, officers saw two doodles, one 4-year-old male and one 2-year-old female laying on the ground, with the women attempting to hose the dogs down to revive them, Chief Christopher Delmonte said during a press conference.
“It appears as though they put the animals inside the vehicle initially and then did not return for some time,” Delmonte said at the press conference.
Bridgewater Animal Control took the dogs to a local animal medical center for a necropsy where their deaths were confirmed, Chief Christopher Delmonte said.
An investigation revealed that the dogs had also been living in unsanitary conditions inside the home, according to the press release.
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“This is a heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedy,” Delmonte said. “No pet should ever be left in a vehicle on a warm day in direct sunlight, even for a few minutes.”
Camille Bugayong can be reached at [email protected].