Fourteen Dogs Perish In Heat-Related Accident In Indiana
(CBS) – Northwest Indiana police are calling it a tragic accident: Fourteen competition show dogs die from heat inside a truck after the air conditioner malfunctions.
CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports a kennel is now under investigation.
St. Joseph County Humane Society Executive Director Genny Carlson loves dogs. That's why what happened at a South Bend Quality Inn parking lot last Friday upsets her.
"It is absolutely a first for me. I've been here for 10 years," she says.
The tragedy occurred when an Ohio woman tasked with hauling 14 golden retrievers to a dog show being held in South Bend.
She took a nap in her motel room. She left the dogs in an air-conditioned truck, as the sun beat down. Two and half hours later she woke up.
"That's when they discovered that something had gone terribly wrong," Carlson says.
The A/C in the truck had gone out, killing the dogs.
"It breaks my heart for the dog owners and also for the person who was caring for them," professional dog-sitter Michelle Jaeckel says.
No charges have been filed.