SPHS Off-Duty Officer Tells Story of Dog Left in Car

On Saturday in Annapolis, temperatures climbed higher than 100 degrees. Alex Swartz, the school resource officer at , said he and his wife were walking to breakfast when they spotted a pooch sitting in a black car.

Swartz documented the scene on his Facebook page, here's an excerpt:

"Here is the wonderful dog we met on our way to breakfast as we walked by the black car he was left in. He was in the car for 25 minutes as we dropped in ice cubes and poured water to him.

"Once another officer arrived we got him out and into... the shade....panting heavily and shaking legs as he tried to stand, many business employees brought out more water. It was over 100 degrees during this incident. If the pup hadn't yelped as we passed by the car we never would have known he was there.

"After I called dispatch, Debi went into every store and made an announcement for the owner with no luck. I stayed next to the car and poured in water through the cracked window from the water I happened to be carrying. He took several sips of the water as it poured onto the back seat.

"There were so many people there that were wanting to help. Is was great to see so many strangers stand by for any support they could offer this 2-year-old pup.

"The on-duty officer called Animal Control to come out to take temporary custody of the dog. Then the owner showed up. Animal Control stated we had to let the dog go to the owner. Animal Control stated they would review the case to determine if they would step in at a later time."

According to Anne Arundel County Police spokesman Justin Mulcahy, a call came in at about 11:30 a.m. on Saturday for a dog left unattended in a vehicle. The police reportedly arrived at the parking lot of the Bow-Tie cinema at 2400 Solomons Island Rd. in Annapolis and heard a dog barking inside a black vehicle.

According to the police report, the vehicle was not running and the windows were slightly open—about one inch in front and two to three inches in the rear. The dog appeared overheated, was panting and shaking somewhat, Mulcahy said. He said the dog was removed from the vehicle and bystanders assisted the dog and tried to help locate the owner.

The dog's owner arrived at about 11:50 a.m. Saturday and was given a criminal citation for animal cruelty, said Mulcahy. Animal Control also spoke to the owner.

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