Ames man arrested for leaving cat to die in 105-degree car

An Ames man was arrested Monday for allegedly letting his cat die in a hot car, and leaving its body for more than a week.

Christian Hansen, 20, is charged with animal neglect after Ames police and Ames Animal Control discovered a dead cat in his car in the 1100 block of Scott Avenue.

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The car's interior was above 100 degrees

According to the criminal complaint, police received a report shortly before 5 p.m. on Sept. 19 that an animal was locked inside an unoccupied vehicle. Authorities found the locked car with its windows rolled up and a "foul odor" coming from it. Police also said flies were spotted inside and out of the car. The cat was found in a pet carrier covered in a blanket. The car's internal temperature was 105 degrees when authorities arrived.

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Hansen left dead cat in his car for a week

Hansen admitted to police that he left the cat in his car unattended for two days without access to food or water. He also admitted that even though he noticed the cat was dead when he checked on it after two days, he left it in the car for another week before authorities discovered it.

Hansen was released from custody on Tuesday. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8.

Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames man arrested for leaving cat to die in 105-degree car