Dog found dead after being tied to fence

A dog was found dead on Tuesday after being tied up to a fence without water or shade, according to the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service. SCRAPS is calling the incident “another situation of animal cruelty” by pet owners during a heat wave that has sent temperatures into the 90s and 100s. As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, SCRAPS had responded to 12 cases of animals confined in hot cars, said Nicole Montano, field operations manager for SCRAPS. But, Montano said, “this is the first time this season that we had a dog die tethered to a fence.” The owners had reportedly tied two pit bulls to a fence the night before and were inside their home on the 800 block of East Rowan Avenue as the dogs became sicker, according to SCRAPS. By the time an animal protection officer arrived in the afternoon, one of the dogs had died and the other had “heat-related distress.” The dead dog was taken to a veterinarian for examination. SCRAPS allowed the owners to keep the other dog under the order that it also be taken to a veterinarian for treatment. SCRAPS is currently investigating the owners on charges of first-degree animal cruelty, a felony that carries a maximum jail sentence of 5 years and a $10,000 fine. On Monday, a Pullman man was arrested on charges of second-degree animal cruelty, after three animals were found locked in his hot truck. One of the animals, a kitten, had to be euthanized.