Nashville woman arrested after Florida police rescue her dog from hot car parked at beach

Clearwater police arrested Marie Rutherford, 40, for animal cruelty after officers rescued her dog from inside a hot car while she was on the beach.

A Nashville woman was arrested in Florida on Tuesday after she allegedly left her dog inside a hot car while she went to the beach.

Marie Rutherford, 40, was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on an animal cruelty charge after her dog had to be rescued from a hot car in the Pier 60 parking lot at Clearwater Beach, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.

Clearwater police officers responded to the parking lot at around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday after someone reported an animal in distress, the outlet said. 

Once they arrived at the car, which was parked in the sun at a time when the outside temperature was around 90 degrees, officers saw a pitbull sitting in the back seat.

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Though the windows of the car were cracked about two or three inches, the dog was panting, sweating profusely and appeared to be in distress and falling asleep, according to Clearwater police.

Bodycam video of the rescue showed an officer smashing the car's front passenger window in order to unlock the doors. Another officer could be seen tending to the dog before helping it out of the car and giving it fresh water.

Police said there was some water for the dog in the car, but it was warm and not a large enough amount.

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Rutherford admitted to police that she was the dog's owner and said she assumed the dog would be OK while she was on the beach because she left water in the car, according to an affidavit seen by FOX 13.

The dog had been in the car for about 30 to 40 minutes, police said.

Clearwater Beach does not allow pets of any kind – aside from service animals – on the sand in its public bathing area, but leashed dogs are allowed in the North Beach section and along the Beach Walk.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advises against leaving pets inside a car for any amount of time as the temperature can be up to 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature within 10 minutes, potentially causing a deadly heat stroke.

The ASPCA also said cracking the windows does not prevent the car from overheating and recommends leaving pets at home if you are traveling to places where they are not welcome.