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Woman saves dog left in hot car, but responding officer says she had ‘no right’ to do so
WDSU New Orleans ^ | June 18, 2025 | Michael Warrick and Emily Van de Riet

Posted on 06/20/2025 8:07:50 PM PDT by Macho MAGA Man

CORNELIUS, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) – A woman in North Carolina said she helped a dog who was trapped inside a hot car on a 90-degree day, but a responding police officer told her she had “no right” to do so.

Suzanne Vella said on June 7, she saw a dog panting inside a hot car that was parked in a shopping center parking lot. She immediately knew she had to do something.

Vella said she called 911 and looked in the area for the dog’s owner, but after not finding them, she opened the car door – which was unlocked – and gave the dog some water.

“I was really concerned because I know it only takes a few minutes for dogs to go into heat stroke. It was a 90-degree day,” Vella said. “It wasn’t even a decision, I knew.”

Vella said when a Cornelius police officer arrived at the scene, he reprimanded her for going into the vehicle to help the dog.

“I was shocked,” Vella said. “I could tell [the officer] was really upset. He just kind of yelled at me and told me I had no right to go into the vehicle, and he repeatedly asked the owner if he wanted to press charges on me.”

According to the Cornelius Police Department, they received a 911 call at 2:18 p.m., the officer was dispatched at 2:19 p.m., and he arrived at the scene at 2:26 p.m.

That’s eight minutes that Vella thinks could have been too long to wait to act.

A cell phone video recorded by Vella captured the interaction between her and the police officer after he arrived.

(Excerpt) Read more at fox8live.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: animalrights; corruptcop; dog; dogleftincar; dogsarepeople; glass; heat; karen; pantingdog; susannevella; vella
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What a jerk this cop is. He has zero empathy for dogs locked in cars 90+ degrees outside. I wonder what the heat index inside the car was?
1 posted on 06/20/2025 8:07:50 PM PDT by Macho MAGA Man
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To: Macho MAGA Man

I support the cop and car / dog owner.


2 posted on 06/20/2025 8:09:02 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Macho MAGA Man

Stupid cop.


3 posted on 06/20/2025 8:11:56 PM PDT by mabarker1 ((Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! I’m a fraud, hypocrite & liar. I'm a member of Congress!! )
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To: Macho MAGA Man
Jury nullification.

Natural law.

4 posted on 06/20/2025 8:12:24 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: ConservativeMind

Of course you do. Let the dog die, so then the cops can arrest the dog owner....


5 posted on 06/20/2025 8:14:19 PM PDT by freebilly
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

To even get this in front of a jury you’d need a prosecutor as dumb as the cop.


6 posted on 06/20/2025 8:15:48 PM PDT by Flash Bazbeaux
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To: Macho MAGA Man

> What a jerk this cop is. He has zero empathy for dogs locked in cars 90+ degrees outside. <

Your mileage may vary. But in my experience, 85% of cops range from adequate to exceptional.

What about the other 15%? They are somewhere between trash and evil. Their arrogance ruins the reputation of the entire profession.

This cop is firmly in that 15%.


7 posted on 06/20/2025 8:18:50 PM PDT by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
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To: Flash Bazbeaux
And no damage was done. It's not like she smashed the window.

However, she would have been totally justified breaking the window.

8 posted on 06/20/2025 8:19:14 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: Macho MAGA Man

I saw the same thing and called cops. The dispatcher told me to watch the dogs until cop got there, I rolled the window down though. The dogs were lying on the floor panting. Cop took about 10 minutes. Cop called owner on phone, no answer so he took the dogs to the pound.


9 posted on 06/20/2025 8:21:49 PM PDT by doc maverick
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To: Macho MAGA Man

Crimes traditionally required criminal intent. The Good Samaritan had none. If some damage had been done, the owner could have demanded reparations, but there was no harm done. This cop needs to find better ways to make his monthly quota of charged crimes.


10 posted on 06/20/2025 8:28:25 PM PDT by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
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To: freebilly

But, the dog owner would get a slap on the wrist,


11 posted on 06/20/2025 8:30:09 PM PDT by HollyB
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To: Macho MAGA Man

The dog looked sort of young, like a 2 or 3 yr old.
Some dogs that age are not used to dealing with prolonged thirst. Such a dog is going to hyperventilate, open mouthed, making his mouth feel even more dry and more thirsty.

The owner is not likely to press any charges, and probably wishes this entire event would just go away.


12 posted on 06/20/2025 8:34:07 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: ConservativeMind

A few years ago we had a wildfire threatening my neighborhood. My next door neighbor had a dog she kept indoors. As the fire got closer to our area I called my neighbor at work and had her called out of a meeting. I asked about the dog and she told me that she had him boarded away from home because of the chance of fire. I told her, “If the fire got into our neighborhood I was going to bust down her front door and get the dog.” She thanked me.


13 posted on 06/20/2025 8:35:33 PM PDT by cpdiii (cane cutter, deckhand, oilfield roughneck, drilling fluid tech, geologist, pilot, pharmacist ,MAGA)
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To: lee martell

Press charges for what? What’s the criminal intent considering the woman who opened the door told police exactly what was happening when she called, and explain why she did it prior to police arriving on scene?


14 posted on 06/20/2025 8:40:54 PM PDT by MTBobcat (The “rank-and-file” are as corrupted as their leadership.)
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To: Macho MAGA Man

Hes the kind of cop who would kill a k-9 dog by leaving it in his squad on a hot day.


15 posted on 06/20/2025 8:42:07 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

I would have supported Vella. And if upon arrival, I found that the dogs were suffering, the the windows were up and the doors were locked, I would have smashed a window myself.


16 posted on 06/20/2025 8:42:48 PM PDT by Respond Code Three (Support Free Republic lest we eventually get a Republic which is not free.)
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To: Leaning Right

Problem is, you dont know which kind you are going to get, so its in your own best interest to assume they are bad ones.


17 posted on 06/20/2025 8:43:06 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Dr. Franklin; All

> Crimes traditionally required criminal intent. <

Yes. And another way to look at it is to apply the “reasonable person” standard.

Would a reasonable person be expected to open that car to help that dog? You betcha.

The woman did good.

The cop needs to be reassigned to picking up garbage in some city park. But not forever. Maybe just until he gets his mind right. A year ought to do.


18 posted on 06/20/2025 8:43:54 PM PDT by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
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To: Macho MAGA Man

The cop is a moron.


19 posted on 06/20/2025 8:49:33 PM PDT by yldstrk
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To: Secret Agent Man

> Problem is, you don’t know which kind [of cop] you are going to get, so it’s in your own best interest to assume they are bad ones. <

Sadly, you are quite correct. A bad plumber can make a house leak worse. But a bad cop can absolutely (and casually) destroy your entire world.


20 posted on 06/20/2025 8:49:52 PM PDT by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
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