Dog Dies After Being Left in Hot Car in Virginia

The 5-year-old puggle was left in a car outside a PetSmart store

A dog died in Falls Church, Virginia, Monday afternoon after a woman left it inside a car amid temperatures approaching 100 degrees.

Megan Kurtz Campbell, 19, was arrested after police say she left a 5-year-old puggle in an SUV parked near the PetSmart on the 6100 block of Arlington Boulevard.

Someone spotted the dog in the car and called for help. Firefighters arrived about 12:20 p.m. and "immediately determined that the dog was in distress," police said in a statement.

Firefighters entered the locked SUV and rushed the dog into the veterinarian's office inside the PetSmart.

But it was too late. The dog was pronounced dead inside the store, police said.

Campbell, of Falls Church, was handcuffed in the parking lot and charged with felony animal cruelty.

Two dog bowls were visible in the trunk of the car.

When the temperature is just 80 degrees, it takes about 10 minutes for a car to reach deadly temperatures; in an hour your car can reach 123 degrees. 

Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story.

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