Deputy rescues dog from hot van

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Mahoning County sheriff’s deputy cited a Boardman woman into municipal court on an animal cruelty charge after she allegedly left her dog inside a hot, locked van for about 30 minutes while it was parked in front of the county courthouse.

Cited Tuesday morning was Kathryn Brocker, 63, of Hitchcock Road, owner of the male yellow Labrador retriever.

Brocker will be arraigned at 10 a.m. today.

Her citation was written by Deputy Dale Rhinehart, who said he found his colleague, Deputy William Horn, had reached inside through a window that was down about 8 inches to unlock the van and release the dog while the outdoor air temperature was 92 degrees.

The dog, named Beijing, was panting and felt hot to the touch, Rhinehart wrote in his report.

Finding Brocker’s cellphone number on the dog’s tag, Rhinehart called Brocker, who was in the nearby county administration building and summoned her to her van.

Brocker told Rhinehart she couldn’t lower the van’s windows any more because the dog would try to escape, the sheriff’s office report said.

The dog drank the entire bowl of water the deputies supplied.

Brocker was allowed to leave with her dog.