Dog Dies After Being Left Inside A 125-Degree Car, Owner Arrested

On Sunday, June 11, a dog dies in Portsmouth, New Hampshire after its owner leaves it in a 125-degree car for several hours.

Susan Weillbrenner, the dog's owner, was arrested on the scene and is now facing animal cruelty charges as a result of the event.

The Tamworth woman, 52, left her Terrier mix in a car with the windows up in a Portsmouth shopping center parking lot.

The Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive dog inside a vehicle. However, by the time they came, the dog had died.

"The outside temperature was in the mid 70's, with the internal temperature of the vehicle recorded at 125 degrees," according to the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department.

"Officers discovered a small bowl of food and a very small amount of water on the back seat."

The dog was sent to a local veterinary hospital for a necropsy, and Weillbrenner was released on personal recognizance to appear in Portsmouth District Court on July 17, 2023.

If you observe a dog inside a car on a hot day, the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends calling the police right away.

Being locked inside a car can quickly raise a dog's temperature, frequently within minutes. So, whether it's summer or not, dogs can die from heat stroke if they are left inside a closed vehicle.