New York Man Arrested After Dog He Allegedly Left in Hot Car Dies

A New York man has been arrested after allegedly leaving his dog to die in a hot car, where authorities said the temperature had soared to at least 110 degrees.

Shadow, a 5-year-old boxer mix, suffered fatal heat exposure when he was left inside a car in direct sunlight for about 50 minutes in Geneva Wednesday, police said. 

Though the temperature outside was about 80 degrees, the vehicle was turned off and Shadow had little ventilation, officials said. Inside, the vehicle had reached over 110 degrees.

Shadow had no way to get out of the car, and had died by the time the Ontario County Humane Society arrived on the scene. 

“The temperature of a car goes up incrementally, very rapidly,” Ontario County Humane Society Chief Bill McGuigan told InsideEdition.com. “A normal dog’s body temperature is around 101, 102 [degrees]. Anything over 103 and a half is life threatening."

The dog’s owner, 29-year-old Roger Chilson, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated cruelty to an animal. He remained in custody at the Ontario County Jail as of Tuesday, records showed.  

McGuigan urged people to think of their animals’ well-being when considering leaving them in a hot car, explaining that if it’s too warm for a person, it’s too warm for an animal as well.

"Leave your pet at home," he said. "It’s one thing if you’re stopping to run into a gas station or convenience store to grab a bottle of pop."

Leaving an animal in a hot car for any longer, however, can have devastating effects. 

"You’re taking a chance in that dog may die," he said.

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