PEORIA, Ill. – An Iowa man has been charged in Peoria County with animal cruelty after he allegedly left his dog locked in a vehicle that reached 150 degrees on Saturday.
Around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, police were called to Pecan Street in Peoria’s Warehouse District. In a release, the state’s attorney’s office says it appeared that the dog had been chewing through the window to get out of the vehicle.
When officers approached the vehicle, the dog jumped out of a broken window, suffering minor cuts from the glass, but it was not seriously hurt.
27-year-old Hunter Melsha, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, reportedly told Peoria Police that he left the dog in the vehicle because his apartment didn’t allow pets, and that he checked on the dog every 45 minutes or so.
Online court records show Melsha was being released on the misdemeanor charge and ordered to appear in court on August 21.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office says Peoria County Animal Protection Services (PCAPS) has taken over custody of the dog.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Peoria Police at 309-673-4521.
Anyone who sees pets left unattended in a hot vehicle is asked to call PCAPS at 309-672-2440.
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