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A Whanganui dog boarding and daycare business has been ordered to pay more than $11,000 after a dog in its care died while being left in a hot car for more than nine hours.
Pet Dog School Limited was sentenced in the Whanganui District Court today for ill-treatment of an animal after the November 2022 death of Maisie, an adult black Labrador-type dog.
In a statement this afternoon, SPCA said the business owner took Maisie and three other dogs from her home to the daycare facility on November 23, 2022. The company’s owner transports dogs that board with her overnight between her home and the facility in her car.
“On arrival at 7.10am, two of the four dogs were removed from the car, but Maisie was left on the backseat of the vehicle, and another dog, which belonged to the business owner, was left on the front seat,” the statement read.
“Later that morning between 9.30am and 10am, a staff member was asked to remove the owner’s dog from the vehicle, which she did. She was unaware that Maisie was also in the vehicle.”
At some stage during the day, Maisie died in the vehicle, which was parked in the sun with all its windows up.
Maisie, a Labrador-type dog, died on November 23, 2022, after being left in a car with its windows up by a dog daycare owner. Photo / SPCA
At 4.50pm, more than nine hours after arriving at the facility, the business owner discovered Maisie’s lifeless body in the car.
“To see such utter negligence from the very business entrusted and paid to provide care for animals is unforgivable,” SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said.
“The shock and grief will have been enormous for Maisie’s owners, not only from losing a beloved family member, but knowing that she suffered right to the end.”
An autopsy found Maisie had suffered from heat stroke, or a seizure caused by heat stroke, resulting in her death.
It also found her internal abdominal temperature exceeded the maximum thermometer reading of 43C, with SPCA saying this confirmed Maisie would have been in considerable hyperthermic discomfort before becoming unconscious.
This could have lasted anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours.
“Expert opinion determined Maisie would have felt trapped, panicked, extremely thirsty, distressed, dizzy and lethargic. She would have panted until the point of exhaustion,” SPCA said.
Pet Dog School was ordered to pay a fine of $7000 to SPCA, and ordered to pay $4177 reparations to Maisie’s owners.
Westwood said the “tragic and totally avoidable” incident served as a reminder of the dangers of leaving animals unattended in cars.
“Any member of the public who sees a pet trapped inside a vehicle that looks like it’s suffering from heat stroke or stress, call the police or SPCA immediately.”
The business owner said she was aware of the risks associated with leaving dogs in cars and described the situation for the owners of Maisie as heartbreaking.
Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.
