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Ohio Woman Charged After Pet Husky Dies in Hot Car, Local Police Apologizes After Animal Control Officer’s Passionate Outburst

An Ohio woman faces a felony charge after her pet Husky died inside her car due to hot temperatures. According to Ohio police, Kasey Wise has a history of previous animal-related crimes. 

The Parma Police Department has charged Wise with one count of felonious prohibitions concerning companion animals.

Per a police report obtained by local TV station Cleveland 19, a local officer responded to Wise’s home after reporting that her Husky was locked inside her car. She also told the officer that the dog appeared to be motionless.

Body camera footage shows the officer arriving to unlock the car as Wise pleaded for help. After seeing the dog inside, the officer called for help from Parma Animal Control officer Julie Kocik. When Kocik arrived on the scene, she pronounced the dog dead. 

According to the bodycam footage, the furious animal control officer insisted that the police take Wise into custody. “He’s dead,” Kocik says, “I want her f—ing arrested.” As the officer took Wise to a police car, the video shows Kocik yelling at Wise, “Get out of here before f—ing kill you.”

Animal Control Officer Enraged at Husky Owner

Wise reportedly told the 911 dispatcher that the Husky had been in the car since approximately 4 a.m., According to Fox 8 News. Wise had locked the dog inside the vehicle for nearly 11 hours. 

After the incident, the bodycam footage went viral online. Afterward, the Parma police issued a statement apologizing for the officer’s use of profanity.

“Our animal control officer is passionate about her job and animals,” the statement read. “She regrets allowing her emotions to get the best of her and, in this matter, was counseled by the safety director about her reaction.”

The statement continues: “It is important to note the defendant has current charges pending…and significant court history of 20 citations since September 2020 for animal-related violations, including Animal Running at Large; Failure to Comply with Requirements for a Dangerous Dog. She also faces Failure to Comply with Rabies Vaccination Requirements; Failure to Comply with Animal Registration and Failure to Comply with Quarantine.”

Authorities have since released Wise on bond. Currently, she has not entered a plea, and the arrest report does not list an attorney that will represent her. 

According to reports, from 2018 to 2019, 78 pets suffered heatstroke and died in a hot car. Dogs with broad, short skulls (also known as brachycephalic breeds) are especially susceptible to heatstroke.

Per the American Veterinary Medical Association, the temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees in under 10 minutes and nearly 30 degrees in 20 minutes. 

At one hour, your vehicle’s inside temperature can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. Even on a 70-degree day, that’s 110 degrees inside your car— and cracking the windows makes no difference.