UP man charged after dog dies of heatstroke in car
WAUSAU, Wisc. –An Upper Michigan man will be charged with felony mistreatment of animals resulting in death after police say a dog died in his parked car on Monday.
According to the Wausau Daily News, the man charged with the felony count is 67-year-old Michael Mosher of Cornell.
The dog was a 3-year-old English setter. It was allegedly left in the vehicle for more than two hours. At the time, Mosher was at the Aspirus Wausau Hospital Complex.
Just before 2p.m., Monday, Wausau police responded to a report of a dog in distress inside a locked car. According to a press release by Wausau Police department, the dog was stretched out and drooling with all the windows rolled up.
10 minutes later, officers found the dead dog. The internal temperature of the car was 121 degrees. Outside temperatures on Monday in this part of Wisconsin reached to 79 degrees with bright sun in the early afternoon.
A local vet determined the dog died of heat stroke.
Surveillance footaged shows Mosher checked on the dog at 11:30 a.m., after having left the dog in the vehicle since 9:30 a.m. When police arrived on scene, the dog had been unattended for over two hours. Mosher said he had checked on the dog by giving it water and turning on the air conditioner.
Mosher was released as police investigated and is expected to be summoned into court.