A Parma woman was arrested Sunday afternoon after leaving her puppy in her car while she attended Cedar Point.
According to Sandusky Police Department records, officers were summoned to a Cedar Point parking lot in response to a report about a dog being trapped in a vehicle.
When authorities arrived, they located a little German Shepherd puppy, believed to be 4 to 6 months old based on its size, confined inside a Honda SUV.
Sandusky police reported that the National Weather Service rated the outside temperature as 83 degrees with a heat index of 85 degrees.
Officers could feel heat rising from the vehicle’s slightly open windows, and the dog was curled on the back passenger-side floorboard, panting excessively.
The police report noted that the passenger-side windows were only lowered down 1 to 1.5 inches.
Officers stated that no water could be seen anywhere inside the vehicle for the dog, so they determined that access inside the vehicle was required to retrieve the dog.
When officers ran the plates of the vehicle, they attempted to call the owner, Courtney Jones, but received no response.
Cedar Point maintenance responded to assist authorities in gaining access to the truck and removing the dog, which now had instant access to water.
Sandusky police officers reported that when they removed the dog, it was still panting heavily and quite warm to the touch.
Cedar Point Security transported the puppy to the park’s dog daycare.
Using CCTV footage, authorities were able to locate the vehicle and its four occupants who arrived at the park, as well as obtain a description of those inside.
According to the footage, the dog was inside the locked vehicle for more than three hours.
According to the complaint, an officer photographed the four passengers and searched the park for them.
While looking for the four occupants of the vehicle, the police discovered a group that matched the description and made contact with the accused driver.
Officers claimed she identified herself as Briana Jones, 22, of Parma, and admitted to driving the Honda SUV while leaving the puppy inside.
Jones was removed from the park and transferred to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, where she was charged with animal cruelty.
Jones is now being held at the Erie County Jail under a $2,500 bond.
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