Dogs left tied to car on hot day in Dedham while owner shopped

DEDHAM - A dog owner left his two Huskies tied to a car on a hot day in Dedham while he got fitted for a suit, according to animal control.

Video posted by Dedham Animal Control shows the two dogs apparently panting while seeking shelter from the sun and hot pavement underneath the car that was parked at Legacy Place. It happened Friday afternoon when the temperature was 89 degrees outside and a thunderstorm was moving in, the agency said. It's believed the dogs had been tied up for at least 45 minutes, animal control said.

The animal control officer got the owner's phone number off the ID tag of one of the "very timid and stressed" dogs. He was inside a clothing store and reportedly told the officer he "just" needed another few minutes to complete his suit alterations.

"He didn't even get close enough to check on his dogs, nor seem concerned about our response to the situation," animal control said.

Dog owner cited in Dedham

The owner argued that leaving his dogs tied outside the car in the heat was better than leaving them inside , the agency said. He was cited under a Massachusetts law that says a person should not leave a dog outside when there's a weather advisory for extreme conditions.

Animal control also thanked two good Samaritans who gave the dogs ice and water, and encouraged the public to "see something, say something."

Multiple instances of dogs left in hot cars

Dedham animal control has been sharing incidents of dogs left in hot cars throughout the summer. In July, the agency shared a video of a husky panting inside a hot locked car while its owner was shopping inside a supermarket.

"We aren't going to stop posting these until it stops," animal control said.