The dog owner who allegedly left her dog outside in the heat without adequate shelter or water has been served with criminal charges.
Alissa Rae Ham, 26, of the 1400 block of Tarragon Court in Belcamp, is facing two counts of animal cruelty. The charges were filed July 8 and were served Friday afternoon, according to Cristie Kahler, spokesperson for the Harford County Sheriff's Office.
She is scheduled to appear in Harford County District Court at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 8.
A chocolate Labrador retriever was found suffering from heat stroke on a second-story deck at about 2:44 p.m. July 7, the Sheriff's Office wrote on its Facebook page last weekend.
The dog had been left on the deck "with no shade, and little water," the Sheriff's Office wrote. "A neighbor was attempting to help the dog by wetting it down with a hose. By the time the Animal Control officer arrived, the dog was in obvious distress, had collapsed, and was suffering from heat stroke. The Abingdon Volunteer Fire Department responded to allow access to the deck with ladders and helped remove the dog."
The hot day saw temperatures in the low 90s in the early afternoon. The surface of the deck, which was wet at the time, was 109 degrees, according to equipment belonging to animal control officers, the Sheriff's Office said.
"Unfortunately, despite quick rescue efforts and immediate medical care by the Animal Control Officer on scene, followed by those attempted by a local veterinarian, the dog did not survive the exposure to the heat and direct sun," the Sheriff's Office wrote.