ILLINOIS — A 23-year-old man was arrested on an aggravated animal cruelty charge after a 1-year-old dog was found dead inside a vehicle on a warm afternoon, according to police.
The Jerome Police Department responded at 4:39 p.m. May 31 to the 1600 block of Seven Pines Road after receiving a report of a dead dog inside a black SUV.
Officers arrived and found a black Hyundai SUV parked in a parking lot with its windows partially rolled down. Police said the vehicle’s rear hatch was facing west into direct sunlight. Officers looked inside and found a dog wrapped in a blanket inside a kennel.
According to police, the dog’s owner, identified as Drew Hirstein, told officers he had checked on the dog around 11 a.m., provided food and water, let it out for a bathroom break and then returned it to a kennel in the rear of the SUV before going inside an apartment.
Hirstein told police he fell asleep and forgot to set an alarm to check on the dog. When he returned to the vehicle shortly after 4 p.m., he found the dog dead.
Animal Control Officer S. Evans responded to the scene and reported the dog appeared healthy before its death but was still very hot to the touch. Evans determined the animal appeared to have died from extreme heat exposure. After the dog was transported to the animal control center, its body temperature was recorded at 107 degrees.
Police noted the outdoor temperature at the time was 84 degrees.
Hirstein was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. The case remains under investigation.
