Lady Lake Police Rescue Puppy from Hot Car, Arrest Owner

Lady Lake Police arrested Yeneese Morejon, 26, on animal cruelty charges after Officers Jeffrey Burns and Michael Tisdell rescued a puppy locked in a parked vehicle at the 5 Below parking lot on U.S. Highway 27/441 on May 16.

A citizen called 911 around 2:25 p.m. after spotting a dog in the car with windows barely cracked. Outside temperatures exceeded 92 degrees. The officers found a black puppy panting heavily inside the non-running vehicle, her tongue extended as she cried and scratched at the windows. The car sat in direct sunlight, and the interior had reached dangerous temperatures.

Burns and Tisdell broke the door lock and pulled the puppy out. They gave her water and placed her in an air-conditioned patrol car. The puppy drank an entire bottle of water and began recovering.

Morejon told officers she had been inside the store for only about 30 seconds because the line was long. Officers determined the dog had been locked in the car for at least 40 minutes.

"Our officers acted quickly and compassionately to save this puppy from a potentially deadly situation," Chief Steve Hunt said. "Leaving an animal inside a vehicle in Florida heat, even for a short time, can quickly become fatal."

Temperatures inside parked vehicles can exceed 110 degrees within minutes, even when outside temperatures reach the low 90s. Florida law allows law enforcement and firefighters to use reasonable force to remove animals in imminent danger from vehicles. Anyone who sees an animal in distress should call 911.

Animal cruelty convictions in Florida carry jail time and fines. Convicted offenders may be prohibited from owning animals.