Pit Bull Dies After Being Locked in Car for 20 Hours

A Florida woman allegedly left her pit bull in a car in hot temperatures for 20 hours while she went to work, according to police.

Officers in Hollywood, a city on the state's east coast between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, were alerted to reports of animal neglect in the 1800 block of Rodman Street at about 8 a.m. on June 19. When Hollywood Police Department officers arrived, they found a dead brindle pit bull on the floorboard of a vehicle, according to ABC affiliate WPLG. The dog's owner Sasha Koval, 27, was apprehended on Friday, July 7, and questioned by officers.

Koval allegedly told police she had left the dog in the car and found it dead inside the car after she woke up on the afternoon of June 19, according to NBC affiliate WJAC. Koval is said to have left the pit bull inside her vehicle on the night of June 18 when she went to her night shift. Police said the pet had been left inside the vehicle for around 20 hours. Hollywood recorded highs of 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of 73.4 degrees, according to forecasts from June 18.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) said dogs can still be at serious risk in a car even with open windows. "The inside of a vehicle parked in 70-degree Fahrenheit weather can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit in just 20 minutes.

"On very hot days, temperatures inside parked cars can climb to 140 degrees Fahrenheit in less than one hour," the AKC added. All dogs are susceptible to heatstroke, and every owner should be aware of their own pet's limits, the AKC said.

Koval has been charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty and has been taken to the Broward County Jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Florida law states that aggravated animal cruelty is defined as when someone commits an act to any animal or a person who has the custody of any animal and fails to act, which results in the cruel death or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering, or causes the same to be done.

In Florida, animal cruelty is a third-degree felony and is punishable by a $10,000 fine and imprisonment not exceeding 5 years, or both.

VCA Animal Hospitals chain says there are numerous signs that your dog might be suffering from heatstroke, including:

• Elevated breathing rates
• Dry or sticky gums
• Abnormal gum color
• Bruising in the gums
• Appearing lethargic or disorientated
• Having seizures

Newsweek has contacted the Hollywood Police Department for comment via email and its Facebook page.