Police Come to Aid of Dogs Left in Car

A 61-year-old Carmel man is facing misdemeanor charges following the recent recovery of two dogs from a vehicle that lacked ventilation, police say.

Around 2:45 p.m. Sunday, officials from the received a complaint that two "small, white dogs" were sitting in a car in the parking lot in Southeast.

When troopers arrived, they found the dogs in a 1989 Mercedes sedan, with the windows "completely closed," authorities told Patch. Temperatures hit 87 degrees in Brewster that day, according to The Weather Channel.

Troopers, along with a member of the , were able to enter the car and remove the animals. Neither was in need of veterinarian care, officials said, adding that the dogs were in the vehicle for a total of about 45 minutes.

Police waited for the driver, who they identified as Loren J. Lessing, to return. Upon his arrival, officials charged Lessing with two counts of cruelty to animals, misdemeanors, and two counts of harboring unlicensed dogs, violations.

The defendant was released, pending an appearance in Southeast Justice Court later this week. Authorities turned over the animals to a family member. Information on the breeds was unavailable Monday afternoon.

Experts with PETA say the temperature inside a parked vehicle is much greater than that of outside, and heatstroke in animals—which can happen in less than 20 minutes—sometimes leads to brain damage or death.