Dog abandoned in hot car in Charlotte County

In October, a dog was left in a hot car for 13 hours in Charlotte County. Worse still the dog had other untreated conditions that suggest he was suffering the entire time.

“Snippy,” a grey and white husky was left in his owners’ vehicle for 13 hours. “It’s a 17-year-old husky so they don’t tolerate the heat as well as some other dogs might,” said Reannon Juergensen with Charlotte County Animal Control.

Charlotte County Animal Control found out, through veterinarian’s notes, that the dog had a history of documented neglect.

Employees of a business on Palm Island Drive in Englewood spotted “Snippy” in an SUV by himself. Once an officer arrived, the car and the dog were gone. But, they were able to find James Granato, the dog’s owner, and were able to determine that “Snippy” had been left in the car for 13 hours.

“He was concerned that the dog was crying and howling and was going to disturb his neighbors,” Juergensen said of James Granato, “Snippy’s” owner.

After Englewood Animal Health Center acquired and examined “Snippy,” they found that he had significant discharge from his right ear due to a tumor as well as dysfunctional hind legs that did not allow him to walk. “The dog was not ambulatory, he could not walk, so there was no option for him to move around or anything like that,” said Juergensen.

Granato then took him to be euthanized.

Employees of a business on Palm Island spotted “Snippy” in the SUV by himself.

Charlotte County’s Animal Control Unit is seeking the charges of one count of Cruelty to Animals and one count of Confinement/Abandonment of an Animal against owners James and Sue Gail Granato.