EUGENE, Ore. – As temperatures rise this week, Eugene police and animal services are cautioning pet owners against leaving animals unattended in vehicles.
According to the Eugene Police Department, the temperature inside a parked car can quickly exceed 100 degrees, even on a mild day, posing a serious risk of heat stroke or brain damage to pets. To address this, officers are equipped with digital thermometers to assess reports of animal neglect, police said.
“If an animal welfare officer pulls that dog out of a car because the temperatures were dangerously hot, that’s animal neglect in the second degree and that’s a $250 citation,” said Deb Sporcich, EPD Animal Welfare Supervisor. “If we have to take your dog to an emergency veterinary hospital, that could be more of a criminal neglect, neglect one.”…