Another winner

[Reptscue]

This is a client from work that did this....

Fort Myers
Dogs left in hot truck doing better, vet says
By Rachel Myers
rmyers@news-press.com
Originally posted on July 19, 2006

Four dogs that had been left for nearly an hour in a truck with closed windows and temperatures near 140 degrees inside are doing better, a veterinarian said.

The German shepherds %u2014 two of them 6-month-old puppies %u2014 had been left inside the vehicle, parked at Wal-Mart, 4770 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers, on Monday.

David Wayne Higginbotham, 46, of Cape Coral was charged with four counts of animal cruelty, and was also served an warrant for failure to appear on an unrelated charge of animal nuisance.

Higginbotham was being held Tuesday at the Lee County Jail on $40,000 bond, with a court date scheduled for Aug. 8.

An off-duty Fort Myers police officer working security at the store Monday morning was notified by a citizen that the dogs were in the truck. When the officer got to the vehicle, she reportedly saw Higginbotham dousing the unresponsive animals with water from a plastic container.

Higginbotham told police he was taking the dogs to a kennel because his roommate was abusing them. He stopped at Wal-Mart to get flea and tick control, which he said the kennel requested in order to accept the dogs.

A Wal-Mart camera shows him entering the store at 9:58 a.m., and a receipt shows his purchase was made at 10:52 a.m.

Police said he also delayed emergency care by initially refusing to sign a release form so a veterinarian could attempt to save and treat them.

Kimm Pontiff, hospital manager at Coral Veterinary Hospital on Cypress Lake Drive where the dogs were first treated, said they barely survived.

"When they first got here, they were in very bad shape," Pontiff said. "The adult dogs were showing neurological signs, their pupils were dilated, they were unable to stand, the male was vomiting."

The dogs were treated with IV fluid, placed in a cool water bath and given steroids so their body temperatures %u2014 which were five degrees higher than normal %u2014 could stabilize.

The two puppies were turned over to Lee County Animal Services on Monday afternoon, and the two adult dogs were taken there Tuesday morning, Pontiff said.

Before they were released, Pontiff said the animals were standing, alert, responsive and eating, although it may be too soon to determine if they might suffer long-term damage.


http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs....607190387/1085

[solarshot]

thats just disgusting, I dont know why people spend money and time on their animals if they're going to throw it all away like this... puzzling

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[Red-Tailed_mustang]

140 degrees for almost an hour thats sick plus 2 were only 6 months old.

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[toker]

That is sad, very sad.

I hope where they were taken is a no kill shelter, it would be pretty bad they went though that only to risk being put down in a few weeks.

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[k0rneliuz]

sad story.


(I grew up in Ft. Myers)

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[Reptscue]

No the shelter is a kill shelter. But these dogs being in the news I'm sure they will be scooped up. Oh and they are 3 German shepards and a 96% wolf hybrid. He als has a 5th shepard and he wasn't in the car.

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