A state-contracted employee left a puppy unattended in a sealed car June 22 at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta, according to hospital officials. The puppy was left in the car for five hours, during which time it died from heat exhaustion.
The employee was in the hospital performing a Goold Assessment, an evaluation used to determine whether an individual should go into assisted living.
According to witnesses, the unnamed employee was horrified at what happened.
“She was completely distraught,” said Scott Shott, Vice President for Development and Communication for MaineHealth.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, with an outside temperature of 85 degrees, a sealed car can reach 120 degrees in only 20 minutes if left in the sun.
Dogs use panting to expel warm and take in cool air. A dog is only able to sweat on its paws and nose. When left in a heated car a dog is unable to undergo this process.
Puppies are particularly susceptible to heat exhaustion because their heat regulating systems are not yet developed.
A Miles employee reported the incident to the Damariscotta Police Dept. According to Damariscotta Police Chief Steve Drake, the matter is still under investigation.
