An animal cruelty investigation has been launched after someone left a puppy inside a hot car outside the ballpark during Sunday’s Kansas City Royals game.
During the eighth inning, with the score tied 1-1 against the Detroit Tigers and temperatures hovering above 30 C, a group of fans made an early exit from Kauffman Stadium.
But as Josh Lee and his family were heading to their car, they made a surprising discovery: a black and white puppy, sitting inside a car with the windows cracked.
They called the Kansas City Police Department, which in turn contacted Royals’ guest services.
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Stadium staff were able to force one of the cracked windows to roll down enough to retrieve the dog, which was taken to an air conditioned room and given plenty of water.
The game ended up going into extra innings, with the Royals edging the Tigers 2-1 in 13 innings. That fact had stadium staff concerned about just how long the dog may have remained inside the hot vehicle.
“With this being extra innings, it easily could have been five hours,” Royals director of guest experience Anthony Mozzicato told KSHB News.
“So the guest that spotted this dog out should be really proud for letting us know.”
Stadium staff left a note on the car explaining what had happened to the dog and where the animal had been taken, but the owner declined to come forward.
“That person could’ve stayed here and said, ‘Here’s my animal. I got this note,’ but they chose to take off,” said Mozzicato.
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The pooch was taken to the KC Pet Project shelter when it opened Monday, and will shortly be going up for adoption. The Royals have already suggested a name for the dog: “Rally,” after the team came back to win in extra innings Sunday.
Officials with the KC Pet Project shelter are hoping that despite the happy ending, this story serves as a warning for all pet owners.
“When it’s 90 degrees outside, it takes a matter of minutes for it to be 120 degrees in your car. And that’s even with windows partially rolled down,” KC Pet Project CEO Teresa Johnson told KSHB.
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