June 17. [Updated] The Cornelius Police Dept. is “reinforcing our training procedures to ensure that all personnel respond professionally, respectfully, and with empathy in every situation.” Including those with dogs and concerned citizens.
Video screenshot of dog
A June 7 incident is under investigation after a woman reported a dog left alone in the Gold’s Gym shopping center parking lot.
She opened the door to help the dog and give it water. WBTV identified her as Suzanne Vella. She could not be reached for comment.
According to the Cornelius Police Department, an officer responded to the parking lot at 2:18 pm regarding a dog alone in a hot car. Police posted a special message on Facebook with their account yesterday afternoon.
The officer, Cpl. Robert Russell, arrived at 2:26 pm.
Suzanne Vella. WBTV screenshot
It was the first 90-degree day of the season.
When the officer arrived, the truck door was open, and the owner had returned.
After the officer asked the dog owner if he wanted to press charges against Vella for entering his vehicle, he declined and left.
Acontentious back-and-forth between the officer and Vella followed.
Officer: “What right do you think you had to open someone’s door?”
Vella: “If there’s a dog on a 90-degree day locked in the car panting, I’m going to give it water.”
Officer: “I don’t understand what you don’t understand about this … just because you see a dog panting, doesn’t mean he’s in distress.”
Vella: “It’s 90 degrees. I think a lot of people would disagree with you too.”
The video went viral.
Quotable
“We are conducting an investigation into the owner of the dog for the claim of animal cruelty. An internal investigation into our officer’s actions is underway. We are also reinforcing our training procedures to ensure that all personnel respond professionally, respectfully, and with empathy in every situation.”
—Cornelius Police press release
Ms Vella did the right thing, in this situation. I respect our law enforcement, but if he said these things to her, he needs some training in proper protocol for situations involving human& animal rights & care.
Vella: “If there’s a dog on a 90-degree day locked in the car panting, I’m going to give it water.”
The car wasn’t locked if Vella could open the door. One could poke more wholes in her “story”, but the full truth will come out. Miss Vella got the positive attention she was after. Good luck to her when the facts are not on her side and her 15 minutes of martyrdom are over.
Anyone else think this post is from officer Russell?
Hoping you don’t have any pets.
Miss Vella did the right thing giving water to the dog. My earlier post referring to ’15 minutes of martyrdom was due to me being a sad/lonely person, and wanting undeserved attention myself. Officer Russell IS in need of training, and apparently, a different job.
Pretending that the issue is with the door locks instead of the fact that this dog was left trapped in a sweltering vehicle, unable to escape, which is a crime, is next level whataboutism. Vella was the only person in this scenario who did the right thing. The only “holes” here appear to be in your brain. The officer has no business in policing.
It’s on the video. What facts are you thinking or misrepresented? When she first saw the dog panting in the car, she wouldn’t have known if it was locked or not right?
She recorded the entire thing. Try again.
Are you serious? You do realize that if a dog is in a car with the windows up and doors shut that it is essentially locked in the car? The dog cannot get itself out. And if it’s 90 outside the car, it can get up to 124 degrees in just 30 minutes. Even if it’s 70 degrees, it can get over 100 in 30 minutes.
And yeah the doors were unlocked, so she didn’t even damage their property. Also it is possible that one of our Good Samaritan laws here in NC would cover her.
There was no negligence, no ill intent. Just keeping someone’s dog from dying from a heat related illness.
You go sit in a closed car in over 90 degree temperatures and maybe someone will rescue b4 you die.
First, learn to spell. I hope you never need help and I also hope you don’t own animals. She helped a dog that could have died. The video tells the whole story!! I hope he does a better job then what I saw in the video!
Let’s put his dumba$$ in a closed black on a 90 degree day and see how long it takes for him to start panting. What. A. Dip$hit.
Please clarify. Is this well educated police officer a member of the k9 squad? If so, that’s sad.
But what about all the “education” the cop had about the situation? Was he….not educated?? Pathetic and just another reason no one trusts cops. He has no heart. What if his dog were in the car? I’m sure that’s a normal thing for that punk cop
Not good enough. Animals will die in hot cars because everyone who might help is afraid of the police. He needs to go
Ate you going to “encourage” this officer to issue a VERY public apology to this hero of a woman who likely saved an animals life? You should! Shame on this “police officer”… and I use that title VERY loosely! That tyrant deserves ZERO respect… at the minimum, the same amount he showed Ms. Vella!!!!
This incident reminds me of an episode of the Andy Griffith Show:
Sheriff Andy Taylor: [Andy is trying to explain to Opie why it’s sometimes okay to break a rule or promise] Well, uh, uh, um now, let me see… uh… suppose, uh… Suppose, suppose there was a little lake and there was a sign on it saying “No Swimming Allowed.” Now that’s a law, and a law is pretty much the same thing as a rule, ain’t that right? Well, now, uh, suppose, suppose there was a little boy and he broke that law and went swimming anyway and started to drown. Now suppose there was a fellow standing there watching. Now, should he obey the law and let that little boy drown, or should he break the law and save the little boy?
Opie Taylor: Well, you couldn’t let him drown.
Sheriff Andy Taylor: Well, of course not!
This is a really terrible look for the entire department. Personally I don’t think a man should have to go to a training class to know that if a dog is in danger of dying in a hot car you’re supposed to try to get them out and provide water!