A man has been charged under a new Rhode Island law with leaving a dog in a hot car. Johnston police told WJAR-TV that it is the first time anyone has been charged under the law, which makes it a misdemeanor to leave an animal in a vehicle in extreme hot or cold temperatures. It was signed into law a few days ago by Governor Lincoln Chafee. Police said the man left a black poodle in his car in the parking lot of a BJ’s Wholesale Club for longer than an hour Monday. When police got there, the temperature inside the car was 124 degrees. The dog is expected to be OK.
JOHNSTON, R.I.