Every single day there are hundreds of articles about dogs dying after being left in a car during record high summer months. It's disgusting, but this one just makes me so mad because it could and should have been prevented.
The CEO of the Richmond Virginia SPCA, Robin Starr, left her dog in a hot car for four hours, in the parking lot of the SPCA! Yep, that's the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals! Apparently Robin's husband loaded their 16-year-old deaf and blind dog, Louie, into Robin's car in the morning before work. According to the Richmond Times-Disbatch article, she often took the dog to work with her at the SPCA, but this day (August 19), Robin didn't even realize the dog was in the car, so when she went to work as usual, she left the dog locked in the car. When she returned to her car for lunch, she found the dog. Still alive, she rushed Louie into the SPCA and then a local animal hospital, where the dog later died of kidney failure. Temperatures reached 91 degrees that day.
This was an accident, I understand, but it should have been avoided, especially if you devote your work to prevent these sort of things from happening. There are more stories out there everyday, where people knowingly take their dog somewhere in the car, then leave the dog in a hot car. It doesn't matter if the windows are cracked, don't leave your dog in the car when it is hot or has the potential to get hot outside. Your dog will be fine at home for a little while. Just think, would you want to be trapped in a car, on a hot day, wearing a fur coat? Answer: no.
This story of Robin Starr's dog dying leads to speculation as to her future with the Richmond SPCA and whether she should be charged. The board of the SPCA is firmly (for now) standing behind Starr. On their website, they have posted a statement, without actually saying what happened. The SPCA did write a blog disclosing the story and events, which was smart.
Do you think that Robin Starr should be punished just like anyone else for neglect or cruelty to an animal? Do you think she should resign or be fired from her job at the SPCA?
Robin Starr with one of her dogs (not sure if this is Louie)
