A man and woman, both from Puna, face criminal charges after allegedly leaving a dog alone inside a car in a Kona parking lot earlier this month.
Frederick John Turner, 69, of Pahoa and Tammi Dee Turner, 64, of Keaau are charged with second-degree cruelty to animals, according to a police log. The charge is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail upon conviction.
According to Hawaii Police Department spokeswoman Denise Laitinen, officers responded Nov. 5 to a parking lot in Kailua-Kona on a report of a dog left in a vehicle.
“The responding officer noticed that the windows were rolled down three inches and that a small white dog was inside and appeared to be suffering from heat exhaustion,” Laitinen said. “The officer was able to unlock the vehicle and remove the dog, which appeared dehydrated, and he provided water to the dog and called Animal Control, who took custody of the animal.
“Police were unable to locate the registered owner of the vehicle. Animal Control contacted the dog’s owner, and when the pair arrived at Animal Control to pick up the dog, they were arrested for animal cruelty.”
The arrests, according to the log, took place the following day, Nov. 6. The pair was released from custody on their own recognizance, a form of cashless bail. The state Judiciary website doesn’t indicate a court hearing set yet for either individual.
Animal Control and Protection Administrator Matthew Runnells said the Turners won’t be able to get the dog back “until the case has been resolved.”
“It must have been pretty serious for the police to want to open the door,” Runnells said. “The dog didn’t have to go to a veterinary office for care, which means it wasn’t in dire straits, but it must’ve gotten to the point where it was panting and looked in distress.”
According to Runnells, leaving an animal alone in a parked vehicle is inadvisable, even under optimal circumstances.
“Even on the coolest days here, the temperature inside a car can rise dramatically in just a few minutes. So, what you’re feeling on the outside of the car is not going to be what the dog is feeling on the inside. It’s like an oven for an animal to sit inside a car,” he said.
“It’s better for the animal overall to be left at home. I mean, what’s the point of bringing a dog with you if you’re just going to leave it in the car, anyway?”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.