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A dog died in a parked car after a woman was arrested on suspicion of DWI.
Round Rock Police Department officers responded to a report of reckless driving shortly after noon Sunday (August 7), according to KXAN. The dog was left inside the suspect's car with the engine running and air conditioning on while officers conducted their DWI investigation. The female driver was arrested.
In this situation, police are instructed to either call animal control or release the animal to a family member if one is on the scene. Police said one of the officers called an animal control officer to pick up the dog and an officer remained on the scene with the dog until they showed up. However, "unbeknownst to he officer," the car's engine turned off on its own, the news outlet reported. The dog was found dead in the car when animal control arrived to the scene.
It's unclear how long the dog was in the car without air conditioning for.
An investigation is underway to determine how this happened, but police are calling it "an unfortunate accident." Police stressed the officer did not turn the driver's car off. The dog has been transported to College Station for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.