Springfield Police Dept. explains what to do if you see a dog in a hot car

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Macy Casteel, the woman accused of leaving more than a dozen dogs in a hot car, has pleaded not guilty to 13 animal abuse charges. All but three of those dogs died.

The case has gained the attention of PETA, which wants to remind the general public to be an advocate for a pet in distress.

“If you see an animal in a parked car in the heat, just assume it’s an emergency and don’t hesitate to take action,” said PETA’s National Director of Public Outreach Ashley Byrne. “Because it could save an animal’s life.”

PETA’s response came after a recent incident in a south Springfield parking lot where 10 of 13 puppies left in a car during the hot weather died. The incident resulted in 13 charges of animal abuse filed against the 30-year-old Casteel.

According to the Springfield Police Department, authorities received a call Sunday around 3 a.m. about several dogs inside a car in a parking lot near Battlefield Road and Fort Avenue. The 911 caller told authorities the dogs had been in the car for at least three hours unattended. Around 6:30 a.m., a Springfield Police Officer checked on the dogs and determined they were not distressed. According to court records, Springfield Animal Control was not going to respond. The officer on the scene rescheduled the call for 9 a.m.

According to court documents, around 9:40 a.m., another Springfield police officer checked on the dogs. When the officers arrived, they noticed significant condensation inside the windows and stacks of dog crates in the back seat. The officer also noticed several dogs whining from the inside, including some dogs that had died.

Casteel told investigators she went to the location around 1:30 a.m. and left her car running with cool air while she was there.

She also said she went to a friend’s house during the night. According to court documents, around 4 a.m., she told her friend to drive her back to her car, and the friend refused.

Casteel told investigators she fell back asleep, woke up, and walked back to the location to find police standing around her car. Casteel told authorities she was traveling to Oklahoma to sell the Mini Cockapoo puppies.

Police say Animal Control took the dogs to a vet clinic where several of them had to be euthanized due to heat-related illness. Investigators say only three of the 13 dogs survived.

On Thursday, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), a national animal rights nonprofit organization based in Virginia,  announced plans to place a billboard in Springfield that will show actress Danai Gurira, star of Black Panther and The Walking Dead, and her beloved dog, Papi, urging the public to never leave dogs alone in parked cars where temperatures can rise dangerously high in minutes. The appeal seeks to memorialize the puppies and prevent another similar tragedy from occurring.

PETA also intends to warn harshly that people must do something if they see a pet in distress.

”Take down the car’s color, model, make, and license plate number, Byrne said. “If there’s a nearby business, go in there and have them paged if possible. If the owner doesn’t respond, then call law enforcement and don’t leave the scene until they arrive.”PETA also goes one step further in its advice if you see a dog that appears to be in distress and possibly dying of heatstroke.

“Don’t hesitate to do whatever you need to do to get that animal out,” Byrne said. “And in many places, it’s actually legal to break a car window to get an animal out.”But that is not the case in Springfield.

“If you break a vehicle’s window, even if it is well-intentioned, you can still face charges for property damage,” said Springfield Police Department Public Affairs Officer Cris Swaters. “Your best recourse is to dial 911 and let the dispatcher know what you see. When officers arrive, they have discretion to determine what actions need to be taken.”

“Even in places where it is technically against the law, I feel like the sympathy tends to lie with the person who at the end of the day takes action and rescues the dog,” Byrne countered. However, whether or not you agree with PETA’s position on its many different areas of animal treatment stances, its message remains simple.

“Every animal is someone, not something,” Byrne said. “And people who are violent towards animals very often go on to be violent towards human beings.”

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