Florida police rescue dog locked in hot SUV
A Port St. Lucie man is facing an aggravated animal cruelty charge after police say he left his dog in a locked and hot vehicle.Police responded to the scene located in the 2200 block of SW Gatlin Boulevard Tuesday afternoon when they got a call about an animal in distress inside an SUV inside the parking lot. “Even standing next to the window the window was cracked about maybe two inches two and a half,” Officer Taylor Battistelli said. “You could just feel the heat coming out the car.”Body camera video showed officers smashing the window of the SUV after attempts to open the door failed.The dog was given water and placed inside the patrol car as they waited for the owner, Michael Parmelee, 73, to return.According to the incident report, the dog was inside the vehicle for at least 26 minutes and temperatures reached above 100 degrees. “She was panting really heavily, she appeared very nervous, you could feel the heat coming off her, she felt like she was on fire when I first pulled her out.” Battistelli said.”According to Florida law, bystanders are also allowed to rescue a child, or a pet believed to be in danger from the heat, but under certain conditions. “First thing, is the vehicle locked, is there any other way to get into the vehicle before you break a window, you have to contact law enforcement before or immediately afterwards if you choose to break the glass,” Attorney Gary Lesser said. “The law was designed for this situation and the law was followed and they saved the dog.”Parmelee is facing an aggravated animal cruelty charge.Top headlines:Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
A Port St. Lucie man is facing an aggravated animal cruelty charge after police say he left his dog in a locked and hot vehicle.
Police responded to the scene located in the 2200 block of SW Gatlin Boulevard Tuesday afternoon when they got a call about an animal in distress inside an SUV inside the parking lot.
“Even standing next to the window the window was cracked about maybe two inches two and a half,” Officer Taylor Battistelli…
