COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — A southwest Florida woman was arrested Tuesday after she allegedly left a six-month-old puppy in a hot truck for over an hour while shopping on Sunday, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
Ginobeba Obregon, 34, is reportedly charged with animal cruelty. The puppy, a schnauzer named Bigotes, appeared to be in good health after he was rescued, the agency said.
Deputies responded to the puppy after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen around shortly before 1 p.m., according to the sheriff's office. They arrived at the Davis Village Shopping Plaza to find Bigotes on the center armrest of a Chevy Silverado "panting heavily."
The truck's engine wasn't running and the windows were slightly cracked, deputies said. Fire crews assisted deputies in rescuing Bigotes from the heat inside the truck, which turned out to be a reported 110 degrees.
When questioned, Obregon told deputies she left Bigotes in the truck for half an hour to shop at a boutique at the plaza, according to the sheriff's office. The investigation later revealed that Bigotes had been inside the truck for over an hour before deputies came to his rescue.
After their investigation, deputies arrested Obregon Tuesday at her home.
“It is never OK to leave a pet inside a hot vehicle,” Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk stated in the post. “Leaving pets inside a hot vehicle even for a few minutes can be deadly. We thank the concerned citizen who saw the puppy in distress inside the hot truck and reported it to law enforcement.”