Dog Left In Pickup Bed For 10 Hours On 122-Degree Floor; Owners Face Animal Cruelty Charges

A dog is recovering after police in Cobb County, Georgia, found him trapped inside a wire crate in the bed of a pickup truck outside a motel for more than 10 hours. Although outdoor temperatures were in the 90s, officers measured the plastic floor of the crate at a blistering 122 degrees (50 degrees Celsius). The pit bull mix had suffered burns to his paws and was struggling to stand when he was rescued.

Police located the owners, Ebony Newell and Reginald Weems, asleep inside the motel and arrested both on animal cruelty charges. Weems also faces additional drug and firearm-related charges. The dog was taken to Cobb County Animal Services, where veterinarians examined him and began treating his injuries.

Animal Services officials say they’ve responded to about a dozen reports of dogs left in hot vehicles this summer, noting an increase in cases involving pets left outside motels because they aren’t allowed indoors. They are reminding pet owners that vehicles, truck beds, and crates can quickly become dangerously hot, and urge anyone who spots an animal in distress to call 911 so help can arrive before it’s too late.