Wilmington man charged with animal cruelty after dead dog recovered from hot car

A Wilmington man has been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty after Delaware Animal Service agents found two dog - one of whom was dead - locked inside a hot car Tuesday. 

Police say the surviving dog was muzzled and tethered inside of a makeshift crate inside the car. Officers recovered both animals and seized the surviving dog.

According to investigators, the animals had been in the car for an extended period of time.

Police arrested 41-year-old Lamonte Jordan Tuesday and charged him with two counts of animal cruelty, two counts of failure to vaccinate for rabies and two counts of failure to obtain a dog license. Lamonte was released on $4,500 bail.

"This situation is entirely preventable," said Office of Animal Welfare Director Christina Motoyoshi. "Despite efforts to educate the public about the dangers of hot temperatures in regards to our pets, individuals still leave their dogs in hot cars."

Office of Animal Welfare has stressed the importance of not leaving animals in hot cars during the summer months. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association the inside of a car can reach 89 degrees in 10 minutes when the temperature outside is 70 degrees. 

More information on the warnings and risks of leaving pets in hot cars can be found here.

The Office of Animal Welfare urges anyone who sees an animal left inside a hot car to contact local authorities immediately.