Dog left inside 115+ degree car while owner visits amusement park, police say

MASON, Ohio (WXIX/Gray News) - A man was left with a warning by police after he allegedly left his dog inside of a hot car while he went inside the amusement park, Kings Island.

The City of Mason Police Department released the report on Monday, which says an officer was called by park security regarding a dog that was left in a hot car.

The report claims the officer arrived in the Kings Island parking lot around 6 p.m. on June 15.

The responding officer wrote in the report that he saw a small white dog “panting aggressively” inside of the vehicle.

The vehicle’s window was cracked approximately three inches, according to the responding officer. Kings Island security used a thermal scanner to determine the temperature inside the vehicle, which was between 117 and 118 degrees, according to the officer’s report.

The officer was told by park security they had a prior incident with dog’s owner three hours before his arrival.

Around 3 p.m., Kings Island security saw the dog left inside the locked vehicle for the first time. Temperature readings inside the vehicle at that time were reading between 120 and 125 degrees, the police report said.

Park security opened the vehicle and took the dog to the first aid center.

A note was left on the vehicle to let the owner know where the dog was taken. The owner arrived at the first aid center and retrieved the dog, police said.

The owner of the dog was exiting out of the park as officers were on scene for the second time the dog was left in the vehicle.

The officer said he explained to the owner that he could not leave the dog inside of the car while he was inside Kings Island. He also told the owner that it was 95 degrees outside and the heat index was well above 100.

Since the owner left his dog inside of the hot vehicle twice in one day, Kings Island advised the owner he was not welcomed back in the park for the rest of the day.

The officer told the dog’s owner that if he returned and found the dog left alone inside of the locked car again, the owner would be charged with cruelty to animals.

The owner said he understood and left without further incident, according to the police report.