Every time we hear too many stories about dogs left in hot cars. Dogs are particularly susceptible to heatstroke, but too many owners still leave them in hot, unventilated vehicles, which can result in suffering and even death.
Last summer, one of the most shocking cases involved a husky dog that was found left in a hot car outside a Las Vegas residence, with her mouth taped shut.
But thankfully, the dog survived the ordeal — and months later, she's living her best life.
On July 20, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a situation in which a 3-month-old husky puppy was left locked in an SUV in the parking lot of the Bellagio hotel.
The poor dog's mouth had been bound shut with electrical tape, and temperatures were soaring to 113 degrees. Leaving a dog locked in a car in any weather can be distressing, so you can imagine how terrible it was for the husky in such severe heat — her life was in grave peril.
The dog had reportedly been in there for two hours while the owner was inside gambling, according to the police, with no air conditioning, food, or water.
The LVMPD was able to get the dog out of the car's sunroof. According to bodycam footage captured by the department, the dog was found drooling and unable to breathe properly.
The proprietor, 50-year-old Raul Carbajal, was arrested for willful, vicious torture of an animal.
While the case was shocking, the poor animal's life soon turned around for the better. Weeks after the husky was rescued, the Las Vegas-based rescue organization, The Animal Foundation, announced that the husky, now named Duchess, had been adopted!
And lately, the sanctuary provided another update, showing that Duchess has been living her stylish life since the rescue.
"She lives with an awesome family who adores her," The Animal Foundation wrote. "She sneaks into the children’s beds and enjoys hanging out with her new fur siblings."
Duchess' former proprietor treated her with atrocity and neglect, but the effects couldn't be more different with her new family. Duchess has gotten to see the country, traveling all over Nevada, California, and Arizona.
And after being saved from that scorching hot auto, Duchess loves the cold wave; they say she never misses a chance to play in the snow.
"Talk about a good life," The Animal Foundation wrote.
WHAT NOT TO DO IN VEGAS:
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) July 28, 2022
On July 20, we got a call from security from a hotel & casino at 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (The high temperature that day was 113)
Security spotted a puppy inside a locked vehicle on the top floor of the parking garage with its mouth taped shut around 3 pm pic.twitter.com/kmZJ9CcQyU