Dog Left In Hot Car At Secaucus Walmart, Woman Arrested

SECAUCUS, NJ — A young woman was charged with leaving her dog locked in a hot car in the parking lot of the Secaucus Walmart last Monday, Labor Day, on a day when the temperature peaked at 95 degrees.

"The dog was crying and panting," said Secaucus police spokesman Capt. Dennis Miller. He said he did not know for how long the dog had been left in the car, but "it was for some time," he said.

It was concerned customers shopping at the Walmart who noticed the dog at about 1:20 p.m. that afternoon, Sept. 3, and called 911, police said. Readers will recall it was extremely hot and muggy that day in New Jersey.

"It was 90 degrees out and the dog was in the car with the windows up and no water," said Miller. "The dog was panting."

Volunteer Secaucus firefighters had to break the car's window to let the dog out. When the car's driver, Diana Valentin, 19, of Newark, came out of the Walmart she was arrested on site and charged with animal cruelty.

Valentin was issued a summons and was released from custody. The dog was picked up by Secaucus Animal Control after she was arrested. Patch does not know where the dog is now.

The dog did not require medical attention, Capt. Miller said.

Photo credit: Shutterstock photo/NOT the dog in this incident.