Dog Found Locked In Hot Car In Burger King Parking Lot

A 20-year-old was charged with animal cruelty after the woman locked her dog in her car at a Burger King parking lot on Cleveland Street in Elyria, Ohio. Authorities said the incident took place May 18.

Burger King employee Antonio Arroyo discovered the dog locked in the car and quickly called Elyria Police.

“It’s like 80 degrees outside, and I’m looking at this car, I’m looking inside the car and they have no food or water,” Arroyo told local media. “I think she should get charged. She should face some jail time and face a serious fine and get her dog taken away, because that’s unacceptable."

Police arrived at the scene and were able to unlock the car and rescue the dog. Local media outlet TMC News captured the entire rescue on camera. There was also no sign of food or water inside the car, according to police.

In an interview with News 5, Cenzie Boyle said she left her dog in the locked car because she was concerned her Chevrolet Cobalt was no longer safe to drive. Boyle said her boyfriend picked her up from the Burger King but didn't want to give her dog a ride because he was concerned his new car interior would be damaged.

She said she returned to give her dog food, water and a bathroom break, but again left the dog in the car. Boyle apologized and said she realizes she made a bad choice.

“I just cried like for 30 minutes," Boyle said. "I’m going to jail, like I do not have bond, I can’t get out of jail. They’re taking my dog, when I came back.”

PETA issued warnings for people leaving their dogs in hot cars.

"Every year, dogs suffer and die when their guardians make the mistake of leaving them in a parked car—even for “just a minute”—while they run an errand. Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs: On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in less than 10 minutes," the website reads. "Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting."

Earlier this month, a good Samaritan in Virginia rescued a dog trapped inside a hot car by smashing the vehicle’s window. Jason Minson, an Army veteran, was working in Norfolk when he noticed a black Labrador-mix puppy trapped inside a car parked near the Old Dominion University. Minson stayed with the dog and tried to comfort the animal while authorities reached the scene.