Police: Dogs Left in Car in Dutchess County as Owner Goes to Movies

Police say an Ulster County man left two dogs inside a hot car as he went to see a movie in Dutchess County.

On Saturday, New York State Police from Rhinebeck were dispatched by Dutchess County 911 to the Lyceum Cinemas in Red Hook for a report of two dogs left in an unoccupied parked vehicle. Troopers say when they arrived they found the dogs, a husky and bull-mastiff, sluggish and drooling.

Authorities say they were hesitant to break the cars window because one of the dogs was acting aggressively. Troopers called the Town of Red Hook Animal Control to assist.

Shortly after animal control was contacted the dog’s owner, an unnamed 70-year old Mt. Tremper man, exited the cinema and removed the animals from the car. Police say the car was extremely hot and sitting in the full sun. Temperatures Saturday afternoon were in the sixties in Dutchess County.

An investigation revealed that the dogs were in the vehicle for around 3 hours. Police say the dogs were trapped in the warm car without water. After the dogs were removed from the vehicle and given water, their condition had visibly improved.

The 70-year-old owner was given a violation of confinement of a companion animal in a vehicle under extreme temperatures. He was given an appearance ticket ordering him to appear at Town of Red Hook Court on March 24.