PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A woman from Texas was arrested Tuesday after police say she left her three dogs inside a sweltering vehicle in a parking lot of a Pembroke Pines hospital.
Pembroke Pines police said officers responded to the parking lot of Memorial Hospital West after receiving an animal cruelty call from a witness who noticed three dogs trapped inside a vehicle around 2:30 p.m.
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Upon arrival, officers found the dogs confined within a 2010 Chevrolet pickup truck that they say belonged to 21-year-old Neela Pirwani, with all windows closed and no signs of ventilation.
Authorities said the temperature inside the vehicle had soared to “potentially life-threatening levels,” leading the animals to exhibit visible signs of distress, including panting and agitation.
An arrest report states that “all the dogs had blood on their faces, mouths, and necks and one male dog bore a deep laceration on its nose with blood evident on the passenger seat.”
Police also confirmed there were no visible water bowls or sources within the vehicle.
“The dogs were clearly suffering, with two of them bearing visible injuries on their faces and necks. It was evident that they had been subjected to extreme discomfort and deprivation,” an officer wrote in Pirwani’s arrest report.
Police said they were ready to take action by breaking a window to offer relief to the distressed animals before Pirwani emerged at the scene.
Authorities reported that Pirwani claimed ownership of the vehicle and the three dogs, explaining to the police that her homelessness compelled her to leave the dogs unattended in the vehicle while her partner was working inside the hospital.
She also told police that one of the dogs in the vehicle was pregnant, according to the report.
Investigators said animal control authorities responded to the scene to take custody of the dogs and provide them with the care and attention they urgently required.
Jail records show Pirwani is facing three counts each of animal cruelty with intent to kill or injure and confining an animal without providing food, water or exercise.
As of Wednesday, she was being held on a $16,500 bond at the Broward Main Jail.