CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo woman is facing an animal cruelty charge after officers say she left a dog in her vehicle in Cheektowaga on Wednesday.
Shermika Walker faces a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge and a violation for the incident, which the SPCA says happened at the Airport Plaza in Cheektowaga.
At the time of the incident, temperatures were around 91 degrees.
The Cheektowaga Police Department and animal control officers responded to the plaza parking lot after receiving a call about a dog that had been left in a vehicle there. When they arrived, the Erie County SPCA says officers found a male Boston Terrier showing signs of "severe distress"— including seizing and vomiting— symptoms of heatstroke in dogs.
The dog was taken to the Greater Buffalo Veterinary Emergency Clinic. Its temperature was above 107 degrees. A dog's normal temperature is between 101 and 102.5 degrees. After receiving emergency care, the dog was taken to the SPCA where he is now receiving additional treatment.
Walker is scheduled for arraignment in Cheektowaga Town Court on Wednesday, June 29.
The SPCA urges anyone who sees an animal left alone in a vehicle during warm weather, especially extreme temperatures like those the area has experienced this week, to call 911 or the SPCA immediately. Heatstroke can appear quickly in dogs, even in vehicles parked in the shade or with windows cracked.
