St. Pete woman, 24, left dog in hot car for over an hour to attend community meeting: affidavit

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 24-year-old St. Petersburg woman was charged with animal cruelty after she left a dog inside a hot car for over an hour Monday evening, an arrest report shows.

Melissa Major, 24, is accused of leaving the dog inside her vehicle for approximately an hour and a half while she attended a community meeting nearby, an affidavit from the St. Petersburg Police Department states.

According to the report, the woman’s vehicle was turned off and the windows were only cracked about 1/2 an inch. The outside temperature was 89 degrees, but felt like 95, police said.

When officers arrived around 5:15 p.m., they found the dog “panting heavily” inside the car at Mirror Lake Drive North and 5th Street North.

According to the police department, Major admitted to leaving the dog in the car.

The 24-year-old was taken into custody on a $500 bond. Jail records show she was released on Tuesday.

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