Man faces deportation after leaving puppy in hot car, police say

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A man could be forced to leave the country after police say he left his puppy in a hot car.

The puppy was spotted Sunday night panting in the back seat of an SUV in the parking lot of a strip mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia. A witness said the dog had been in the SUV for at least a half-hour and was struggling.

>> Read more trending news

“The external temperature outside was about 82 degrees,” Cpl. Michele Pihera, with the Gwinnett County Police Department, said. “However, when they put a thermometer inside the car, they determined the temperature inside the SUV was 94 to over 100 degrees.”

Police broke open the window and saved the dog, and they didn’t have to look far for the owner.

Police said that the dog’s owner, Freddy Dorantes, and his family ate dinner inside a restaurant in a strip mall.

Officers took the puppy to a place that had some air conditioning.

“After the officer broke out the window, that's when the man came out and saw what happened to his vehicle,” Pihera said.

Dorantes was arrested for animal cruelty. He appeared in court for the first time Tuesday afternoon and was ordered to remain behind bars because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a hold on him.

The puppy is not up for adoption at this time. The dog will be held at animal control until the court case is resolved, or the family signs papers giving up ownership.

Cox Media Group