Pit Bull In Critical Condition After Horrifying Hot Car Incident: Three Other Dogs Dead

A pit bull is in critical condition after being left in a hot car for two to three hours on a sweltering afternoon. The ailing pit bull is one of four dogs that were locked in a parked vehicle for an extended period of time. All three of the other animals perished from heat exhaustion before they could be rescued.

The owner of the pit bill is 34-year-old Trevor Moore Courtney. The man was allegedly visiting his girlfriend at the Sierra Fair Apartments on Fair Oaks Boulevard in Sacramento while the dogs waited in his vehicle, reported News 10 ABC. Courtney left the animals in crates in the hot car. He did not provide them with water or shade, but he did leave the windows open a crack. It wasn’t enough.

Veterinarians estimate that temperatures inside the car reached a deadly 107 degrees, reported FOX 40. Police charged the pit bull owner with misdemeanor animal cruelty, and he has been ordered to appear in court.

Someone called the authorities about the four dogs left in the car. By the time a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy broke Courtney’s car window to rescue the four animals, it was too late. Three of the dogs died, and the fourth has only a thirty percent chance of survival. The animal is in dismal condition, according to Senior Animal Control Officer Libby Simmons.

“She’s depressed. She’s bleeding out, and she’s vomiting. It’s sad. It’s sad, and it’s completely preventable.”

The pit bull was removed from the vehicle and taken to Sacramento County Animal Care’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter. From there, the dog was transferred to a 24-hour veterinary clinic.

Vets are working hard to save the animal, but they don’t even know her name. Workers have affectionately dubbed the two-year-old female pit bull Della.

Although Della is not among the pit bulls listed for adoption on Sacramento County’s website, there are many pit bulls and pit bull mixes available to good homes. Donations for the animals are also being accepted on the site.

These dogs have a mixed reputation. As such, they often make headlines where similar incidents involving other breeds may not. While some responsible dog owners maintain that the breed is no more likely to exhibit violence when raised in a caring and loving home, others claim the pit bull is a dangerous animal.

Of course, the breed’s temperament isn’t at question in this story, but other recent headlines highlight the potential danger of having pit bulls as pets. For example, as recently reported by The Inquisitr, a pit bull attacked a toddler in Missouri earlier this month.

The little girl was just 22 months old at the time of the incident. She was listed in critical condition after the unprovoked attack, which left her with a serious neck wound and multiple dog bites all over her body. The child’s grandmother lost part of four fingers struggling to pry the toddler from the animal’s jaws.

What do you think? What is a fitting punishment for the man who left his pit bull and three other dogs in a hot car while he visited his girlfriend?

[Image via News 10 ABC]