Every year we hear too many stories about dogs left in hot cars. Dogs are very susceptible to heat stroke, but too many owners still leave them in hot, closed vehicles, which can result in distress and even death.
Last summer saw one of the most shocking cases: a husky dog was found left in a hot car outside a Las Vegas casino with her mouth taped shut.
But thankfully, the dog survived the ordeal — and months later, she’s living her best life.
On July 20, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a situation in which a 3-month-old husky puppy was left locked in an SUV in the parking lot of the Bellagio casino.
The poor dog’s mouth had been bound shut with electrical tape, and temperatures were up to 113 degrees. Leaving a dog locked in a car in any weather can be distressing, so you can imagine how terrible it was for the husky in such severe heat — her life was in grave danger.
The dog had reportedly been in there for two hours while the owner was inside gambling, police said, with no air conditioning, food or water.
The LVMPD was able to get the dog out of the car’s sunroof. According to bodycam footage shared by the department, the dog was found salivating and unable to breathe.
The owner, 50-year-old Raul Carbajal, was arrested for willful, malicious torture of an animal.
While the case was shocking, the poor animal’s life soon turned around for the better. Weeks after the husky was rescued, the Las Vegas-based rescue The Animal Foundation announced that the husky, now named Duchess, had been adopted!
And recently, the shelter shared another update, showing that Duchess has been living her best life since the rescue.
“She lives with a wonderful family who adores her,” Animal Foundation wrote. “She sneaks into the children’s beds and enjoys hanging out with her new fur siblings.”
Duchess’ previous owner treated her with cruelty and neglect, but things couldn’t be more different with her new family. Duchess has gotten to see the country, traveling all over Nevada, California and Arizona.
And after being rescued from that scorching hot car, Duchess loves the cold: they say she never misses a chance to play in the snow.
“Talk about a good life,” the Animal Foundation wrote.
