6-Month-Old Puppy Left Inside Hot Car – Puppy Later Dies – Owner Arrested

Slidell Police arrest woman for Aggravated Cruelty to Animals after leaving her six month old puppy inside of a hot car for over an hour. The dog later died.

Wednesday afternoon (,July 29, 2020), Slidell Police responded to Walmart (39142 Natchez Drive) after receiving a 911 call about a puppy in distress. Witnesses stated to officers that they observed a small puppy, approximately six months old, trapped inside of a car in the parking lot. The puppy was yelping, spitting up blood, and was lethargic. One witnessed forced their way into the car in order to render aid to the puppy.

Slidell Police officers arrived, and rushed the puppy, named BoeBoe, to the nearest vet clinic. The puppy had an internal temperature of over 109 degrees, and was declared brain dead. The decision was made to euthanize the puppy, due to their being no other option.

The owner of the puppy, 27-year-old, Brittney Robertson (Pearl River, LA), eventually came out of Walmart, and was placed under arrest for Aggravated Cruelty to Animals. Robertson was inside of the store for over an hour, and left the puppy was inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was not running, but the windows were slightly cracked. Robertson told officers she thought cracking the windows of the vehicle was sufficient enough air for the puppy.

Robertson was booked into the Slidell City Jail, and was later transferred to the St. Tammany Parish Jail. If convicted, Robertson shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or both.

*It is important to note a common misconception is that cracking the windows of a vehicle creates sufficient enough ventilation for animals or a child. This IS NOT the case. Even with the windows cracked, the temperature inside of a vehicle can still reach deadly temperatures for a pet or a human, especially during hot, summer months when the vehicle is left in direct sunlight.