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It was a typical hot, humid Florida day in June when a family from Virginia decided to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park just outside of Orlando.
Rather than leave their dog, a small Maltese-mix named Money, with a boarding kennel or back in their hotel room, the family rolled down the windows of the Nissan Altima about 3-inches and took off for a day of fun at Disney.
ClickOrlando reported that from the time the car was parked at 12:37 p.m. that afternoon until it was seen driving away from Animal Kingdom more than eight hours later, neither deputies, Disney security personnel, nor an Orange County Animal Services officer witnessed the dog’s owner return to check on the animal, take it for a walk, or refill the food and water bowls that had slid under the passenger seat.
Disney security officers checked on the dog several times throughout the day, calling the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to the scene several times.
Finally, just before 5pm, about 4 hours after the car was parked, an officer determined that Money was in distress and removed him from the vehicle. Orange County Animal Services was called to the parking lot to impound the dog.
When the theme park closed at 7pm, the dog’s owner had still not returned to the car or checked on the dog. In fact, it wasn’t until around 8:45 that evening – 8 hours after leaving the dog alone in the car – that the owner returned, driving away before sheriff’s arrived to issue a citation.
Two days later the owner reclaimed her dog from Orange County Animal Services. She was issued a $265 citation for animal neglect and ordered her to appear for a responsible pet parenting class before leaving with her dog. The owner has neither paid the citation or taken the class.
KATHY OUBRE
Aug 19, 2015 at 11:06 pm
I AGREE THAT WHAT THEY DID TO THAT DOG WAS A HORRIBLE THING AND I WOULD NEVER DO IT! BUT WE DO NOT NEED A LAW AGAINST IT. EVERYONE SO EASILY SAY WE NEED A LAW. WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS TO MANY LAWS. OUR FREEDOM IS GOING OUT THE WINDOW. PLEASE THINK WHAT YOU ARE SAYING WHEN YOU SAY WE NEED A “LAW”.
WE NEED IS TO SHUN PEOPLE WHO DO SUCH THINGS AND THAT WOULD END IT!
Jaime
Aug 21, 2015 at 4:28 am
So what you’re saying is, we need a law.
Alli
Aug 21, 2015 at 8:57 pm
So, you believe people have a right to cruelly neglect and outright abuse their pets with absolutely no repercussions, because freedom? You need to check yourself, hon. Shunning people isn’t gonna do jack – a lack of legal or monetary repercussions isn’t going to curb such behaviour. If you seriously think shunning someone for being cruel to an animal is going to shame them into changing their sick ways, you are delusional.
eva weiss
Aug 25, 2015 at 10:31 am
We need laws to protect us from stupid people. Like you.
marisa
Aug 19, 2015 at 9:31 pm
Some people should NEVER have pets. Shawanda is an ignorant, ghetto bitch. 95 degrees really? Poor dog should be rehomed.
Lori Maher
Aug 19, 2015 at 5:10 pm
She needs more of a punishment then what she got, one she should never had gotten her dog back and two. she should never be able to have or own any more animals Three she should serve some time along with a stiff fine and more then one class.
She does not deserve the honor of owning any animal!
Barbara
Aug 19, 2015 at 11:40 am
She should not have been given the dog until she paid the fine and went to the class. If that’s too tough, then too bad for her. Rehome the dog where it will be taken care of properly. We need stricter laws concerning animal abuse.
Jean
Aug 19, 2015 at 7:02 pm
Since there were no repercussions for their actions, they will do it again. The next time, the dog may not be so lucky. Obviously, they didn’t care about the dog at all or they wouldn’t have left it in a hot car for over 8 hours with no water. Their only concern was having a good time. I agree with Barbara. We need stricter animal abuse laws.
DENISE
Aug 20, 2015 at 2:40 pm
deveriam ter tirado o bichinho deles, eles não o merecem, com certeza irão fazer novamente, pessoas sem sentimento, cruéis .