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Henrietta Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty After Dogs Die of Heat Stroke

A Henrietta woman has been charged with animal cruelty in the death of her two dogs.

Reno DiDomenico, director of Humane Law Enforcement at Lollypop Farm, says the agency got a call last month that a Rottweiler and a Great Dane had been left outside in the extreme summer heat without water.

Officers then went to the home of the dog owner, 41-year old Jocelyn Evans on July 22.         

"She had told us that the dogs were found dead by her when she got home," said DiDomenico, who estimates the dogs had been left outside for six to eight hours. A necropsy performed at Lollypop Farm showed the animals died of heat stroke.

The misdemeanor charge against Evans could lead to a $1,000 dollar fine and/or a year in prison. She is due to appear in Henrietta Town Court on August 23.

DiDomenico says the humane society has received multiple calls this summer about dogs left outdoors or inside hot cars.        

"People will go to work and they will leave their dog outside, and say, 'It's okay 'I'll leave it water; it has water.' Dogs are like people. They have to seek shelter every once in a while and get out of the heat."  He says pet owners generally understand that it’s not safe to leave animals unattended in the heat on a 90-degree day. The humane society’s animal cruelty hotline gets more calls on days when the temperature ranges between 75 and 85 degrees.

"And within 20 minutes of a car being in that temperature, the interior temperature of a car can go up to at least 100 degrees if not more," said DiDomenico.

To report suspected animal cruelty, call the Lollypop Farm Animal Cruelty Hotline at (585) 223-6500 or call 911 for immediate life-threatening situations.