East Bay Woman Facing Charges After 3 Dogs Die In Hot Car

JAMESTOWN, RI — A Jamestown woman is facing charges after three dogs died inside her sweltering vehicle during the weekend heat wave. Police said the dogs were left "for an extended period" in a supermarket parking lot with no water or air conditioning.

Police were called to the parking lot of McQuade's Market Place around 4 p.m. on Sunday after several witnesses noticed three unresponsive dogs inside a vehicle. Emergency responders and bystanders attempted to save the three dogs — a four-year-old black lab, a seven-month-old black lab and a four-year-old gray keeshond — but all were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to police, the dogs were left in the vehicle for a long time while their owner, Anne Garnett, 65, of Jamestown, was inside shopping. The vehicle's air conditioning was not working and the dogs had no water.

Sunday's heat was extreme, with temperatures soaring into the 90s. All pet owners are urged to leave their animals at home in hot weather, even if it's only a few minutes, as vehicles can quickly heat to extremely dangerous temperatures, even with the windows open.

Garnett was charged with three counts of unnecessary cruelty to an animal, which is a felony charge. If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison, a $1,000 fine per count. Garnett was also charged with an additional three counts of confinement of an animal in a motor vehicle. She was arraigned at Jamestown Police Headquarters and later released.