On Monday, an English Bulldog died after being left inside her owner’s car.
According to the police, 5-year-old Bulldog Penny passed away after her owners stopped for dinner in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Beverly police officer April Clarizia was on duty at the North Beverly Plaza when she saw a man and a woman frantically holding a dog outside Panera Bread. She offered the couple some help. She performed CPR on the Bulldog for several minutes but sadly, Penny passed away despite all their efforts.
Penny’s owner Russell Blanton, his sister, and their mother were returning from a weekend trip to New Hampshire when they stopped to have dinner at Not Your Average Joe’s, The Salem News reports.
Blanton told the police that his beloved Bulldog was fine and in good shape during the trip. He said he even rolled down the vehicle’s windows half-way and left the Bulldog in a crate in the passenger seat. But when they returned about 90 minutes later, they saw Penny in distress and was having trouble breathing.
Blanton added that he got some water for Penny, who was then struggling to stand up, and then decided to drive south to buy more water. He said he didn’t notice a Stop & Shop nearby so he continued driving until he got to the North Beverly plaza — a little more than a mile down the road. His sister even ran into Panera Bread to buy more bottles of water, but poor Penny remained lifeless and unresponsive.
Read: 5 Tips To Better Take Care of Bulldogs
According to Beverly police spokesman officer Michael Boccuzzi, Blanton will face a charge of animal cruelty.
Boccuzzi added that he and the city’s animal control officer have always been trying to raise awareness about the risks of leaving pets alone in a car –even for a short time.
Brachycephalic dog breeds like Bulldogs have breathing issues and could easily die in the heat.
Rest in peace, Penny. 🙁
