LADY LAKE, Fla. — Lady Lake police arrested a woman after officers rescued a puppy from a hot car at a shopping center.
Police said officers responded around 2:25 p.m. May 16 to the Five Below parking lot at 482 N. U.S. Highway 27/441 after someone reported a dog locked inside a car with the windows barely cracked.
According to an arrest affidavit, the outside temperature was above 92 degrees, and the car was parked in direct sunlight without shade.
Officers said they found a black puppy panting heavily, crying and scratching at the windows in an attempt to escape.
Police said the vehicle was not running, and the inside was extremely hot.
According to the affidavit, officers were able to unlock the car door and remove the puppy.
The puppy was given water and placed in an air-conditioned patrol vehicle.
Police said the puppy quickly drank an entire bottle of water and appeared to recover after being removed from the heat.
Investigators said the dog had been inside the car for at least 40 minutes. The arrest affidavit said the witness believed the puppy may have been inside the hot car for 45 minutes to an hour.
The owner, identified as 26-year-old Yeneese Morejon, was arrested on an animal cruelty charge and taken to the Lake County Jail.
Police said Morejon told officers she had only been inside “like 30 seconds.” When officers told her they had already been on scene for more than 10 minutes, police said she replied that the store “line was long.”
According to the arrest affidavit, Morejon was also on felony probation through the Florida Department of Corrections.
“Our officers acted quickly and compassionately to save this puppy from a potentially deadly situation,” Lady Lake Police Chief Steve Hunt said. “We are grateful for the vigilance of the citizen who called 911 and for the care shown by the officers who responded. Leaving an animal inside a vehicle in Florida heat, even for a short time, can quickly become fatal.”
The Lady Lake Police Department reminded residents that temperatures inside a parked vehicle can rise above 110 degrees within minutes, even when outside temperatures are in the low 90s.
Police said pets should never be left unattended inside a vehicle without proper air conditioning and supervision.
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