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Article Archive > SPCA cites drivers in Keansburg, Asbury for leaving pets in hot cars SPCA cites drivers in Keansburg, Asbury for leaving pets in hot cars A Middlesex County man pleaded guilty in Keansburg on Thursday to a civil offense for leaving a dog in a hot car, authorities said. Gerard Pagnotta, 42, of the Parlin section of Sayreville pleaded guilty to leaving an animal unattended in a motor vehicle in inhumane conditions, and he was ordered by Keansburg Municipal Court Judge Michael Pugliese to pay a $500 fine, said Victor "Buddy" Amato, the police chief of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Pagnotta and his girlfriend went to the Keansburg boardwalk on April 18, and he left his Yorkshire terrier inside his vehicle, said Amato. Outside temperatures were around 75 degrees that afternoon, but it was about 108 degrees inside the vehicle, said Amato, who added that he carries around a laser meter that he shoots into vehicles to detect interior temperatures. Pagnotta told authorities he did not realize he could be fined for leaving a pet in a vehicle on a warm day. Amato said this case was the first of its kind this year, but he expects to fill a ticket book each month for similar offenses, which carry fines up to $1,000. If a dog is injured or dies, owners can face jail time and a criminal record, he said. "People have be aware they cannot bring their animals in their cars, when they go shopping, or to malls, or out to lunch," he said. A day later, SPCA officials cited a Kinnelon woman who left her dachshund inside a car while she went shopping in Asbury Park. The woman, 53-year-old Sarah D. Balogah, was issued a citation that carries up to a $1,000 fine, Amato said. Amato said many dog owners have good intentions, and say they bring their pets with them wherever they go. But they can be issued summonses or charged criminally for leaving those animals in vehicles when temperatures are high, he said. When it's about 75 degrees outside, temperatures in vehicles can reach 100 degrees in about 20 minutes, and the animals go into distress immediately, he said.
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