New Canaan police on Feb. 21 received a report that two dogs had been left in a car at the New Canaan Y parking lot, but the vehicle was gone by the time they arrived.
The 11:58 a.m. call prompted police to respond, though technically it’s not illegal to leave dogs in a car in Connecticut, according to Officer Mary Ann Kleinschmitt of the New Canaan Police Department.
When officers respond to a report of dogs in a car, they arrive to make sure the animals are in good condition, then recheck about 15 minutes later.
“In temperatures like this it’s not an immediate problem,” Kleinschmitt said. “When temperatures are higher then it’s a problem. If the dog is panting, then I’m staing at that car until the owner shows up. If the dog appears to be in danger, then the police show up, break the window to get in and I take the dog to a vet. The owner will be charged with cruelty [to animals].”
