Man Leaves Dog In Hot Car So He Could Attend Concert, Animal Collapses When Police Intervene

A man left a dog in a hot car in Mansfield Thursday so he could attend a concert. CBS Local in Boston reports that Edwin F. Harrington, Jr., 60, from Boothbay Harbor, Maine, left the Boston Terrier-Bulldog mix in the backseat of his car while he attended the Vans Warped Tour at the Xfinity Center. He faces animal cruelty charges.

Dogs in hot cars has been a real problem this summer, and this is yet another disastrous case. Fortunately, the dog didn’t die in this instance. Police had to intervene after the animal was seen in a car that was parked in the sun as outside temperatures reached 85 degrees. Officers say the windows were cracked about three inches. Nonetheless, temperatures reached closer to 130 degrees within the interior of the vehicle.

Officers rescued the dog inside the hot car after they found him at about 2:30 pm. Harrington was last spotted near the vehicle about 10:45 am. The windows were open enough for police to reach in, unlock the door, and save the dog. When he was removed from the car, he collapsed and was unable to move his rear legs. He was suffering from heat stroke and shock.

Harrington told police that the dog’s name is “Tuffy.”

Tuffy was taken to Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment and Specialties in Walpole. The Sun Chronicle explains that Tuffy was suffering from heat stroke and shock and was kept at the animal hospital overnight for further medical testing.

According to this report, Tuffy was inside a 2002 Buick Park Avenue that had untinted windows. Witnesses tell police Harrington was last seen around the car late morning had no idea there was a dog inside it.

Q13Fox reports on how temperatures increase inside a vehicle as the heat outside elevates. As the report emphasizes, studies reveal that if it’s 80 degrees outside, the temperature inside a motorized vehicle can reach 120 degrees. In 90-degree weather, it’ll be 140 degrees inside.

The report reveals that in Tennessee it’s legal to break a window to save a child trapped inside a hot car, but in Washington state, no such law exists. In fact, it’s not a crime to leave a child inside a car unless it’s running.

Many good Samaritans have broken windows this summer when they’ve spotted a dog in a hot car around shopping parking lots. In the instances reported on, no charges were filed against those trying to do the right thing so the animal wouldn’t suffer further and die.

[Photo Credit: Mansfield Police Dept. via The Sun Chronicle]