Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knoxville man is facing an aggravated animal cruelty charge after leaving a dog on his apartment patio in 95-degree heat.
According to charging documents, officers responded around 7:00 p.m. Sunday to the Kingston Pointe apartment complex on Bearden Hill where they were told a dog that had been outside was seen swaying in the heat before collapsing. The dog was later pronounced dead.
The dog’s owner, Angel Gonzales-Valencia, reportedly put the dog on the patio around 1:00 p.m. because it had gotten sick. The police report also said Gonzales-Valencia’s wife, Monica Mendoza, had checked on the dog around 2:00 p.m.
Gonzales-Valencia was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals. The dog, a two-year-old pit bull mix, was taken to Young-Williams Animal Center.
