TWIGGS COUNTY, Ga. — No matter how short the time, and no matter how cracked the windows may be, leaving an animal alone in a parked car is never safe.
A tow truck employee is in custody after leaving a dog inside a hot car in Twiggs County.
The Twiggs Sheriff's Office says the dog died after about 3 hours in the car.
A deputy stopped a man driving on I-16 and arrested him for having an invalid license.
The man had a French Bulldog in his car and the Sheriff's Office says the tow company usually keeps dogs until someone can come to pick it up. He proceeded to leave the dog in the car with just three inches of airflow from the window, causing the dog to die.
Doctor Kristen Hamsley Jones is an associate veterinarian at the Hands of Hope Animal Shelter. She hopes people remember that even though it can be fun to travel with your pet it's not the best idea to bring them places if they can't go inside.
"Never leave a pet in a closed vehicle ever for any length of time because it only takes a few minutes for them to have health complications that can arise from that," Jones said.
The tow truck driver Edwin Brown is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.
That's a felony offense and carries a sentence of one to five years in prison and a fine up to $15,000.
Twigg's Sheriff's Office says they've handed the case over to the district attorney's office for possible prosecution.