BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A horrific case involving the deaths of three dogs is being investigated by Birmingham police. Customers found the canines locked in an abandoned SUV at a service station on Tuesday night. One of the dogs had already died by the time officers shattered the window to retrieve them.
They hurried the other two dogs to an emergency vet clinic in Hoover, but no matter how hard they tried, they were unable to save them. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society’s director believes that leaving animals in an abandoned vehicle this time of year should be deemed torture.
It had been a difficult night at GBHS. They acted quickly after receiving word that three dogs had been abandoned in an SUV at the Citgo gas station on Bush Boulevard. They were all killed by heat stroke.
“Maybe they thought because it was evening, it was cooler. That’s not the case. It only takes just a few minutes. What happens oftentimes is they start to cramp just like if you get overheated, their blood starts to clot. Their brain function, the panting, they foam at the mouth. It’s a terrible death,” Allison Black-Cornelius with the Greater Birmingham Humane Society said.
Police are now asking for information on who abandoned the SUV and the dogs. They could face harsh charges if they are apprehended.
“If you lock your dogs in a car in 100-degree weather, that’s a torturous death, and that can be intentional aggravated animal cruelty. And we have seen some district attorneys do felonies,” Black-Cornelius said.
When the staff and volunteers at GBHS are unable to save an animal that shouldn’t have needed saving, it’s very difficult, especially after the superhuman efforts of police and Steel City veterinarians.
“We’ve only got so much money. I mean, our vet bill from last night, Steel City, is probably going to be thousands of dollars. And we, and we still didn’t win,” Black-Cornelius said.
According to the the clerk at the Citgo gas station, the woman in the SUV contacted Birmingham police, and when they arrived, she told them someone was after her with a shotgun. According to the clerk, they looked at the camera tape and saw only her pulling up, so they departed. According to the cashier, the SUV never left, and it wasn’t until about an hour later that a customer noticed the pups in the vehicle and phoned the police again.
In this situation, the GBHS is offering a $10,000 incentive.
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