(Spirit Lake)– A Hartley woman has been charged with animal abuse/neglect in connection with an incident this (Wed.) morning in Spirit Lake.
Police say they received a complaint about a dog left unattended in a locked car with the windows rolled up in the 700 block of 21st Street. Authorities located the dog and transported it to a local veterinarian for observation as the animal appeared to be distressed from the heat.
Later in the day, police located and arrested the dog’s owner, 18-year-old Crystal Tharp of Hartley. Tharp was charged with animal abuse/neglect and was booked into the Dickinson county jail.
Authorities say the outside temperature when the dog was seized was about 85 degrees and climbing. No word on the temperature inside the vehicle.
Spirit Lake police remind pet owners to take extra precautions with their pets during the summer. They also encourage the public to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect.
