Deputies in El Paso County arrested a pair of dog owners after investigators said two dogs were left inside a parked vehicle for about an hour without adequate ventilation or protection from the heat, leading to the death of one of the animals.
On May 9, at about 3 p.m., deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 6900 block of Hueco Tanks Road after a report of canines being left unattended inside a parked vehicle. The caller reported the vehicle was not running and that one of the animals appeared to be in distress.
Deputies made contact with the owners, identified as 59-year-old Manuel Frias and 55-year-old Griselda Gallegos, who had returned to the vehicle before deputies arrived. During the investigation, deputies learned the pair attempted CPR on a 2-year-old French bulldog, which was pronounced dead at the scene. A second dog, a 5-year-old Lhasa Apso, survived.
Frias and Gallegos were each charged with one count of Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals – Failure to Provide and one count of Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals – Kill/Poison/Serious Bodily Injury. Both were booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on $10,000 bonds each.
Sheriff Oscar Ugarte emphasized the serious nature of animal cruelty cases.
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“Animal cruelty cases are something we take very seriously,” Sheriff Ugarte said. “Pets depend on us for their safety and well-being, and no animal should suffer due to negligence. We want to remind the public that temperatures inside a vehicle can become deadly within minutes, even when the weather outside may not seem extreme.”