Missouri woman charged after several puppies found dead inside a car in Springfield
Warning: This story contains some details that may be disturbing to some.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - A woman from Pittsburg, Missouri has been charged with several animal abuse charges after several dead puppies were found inside a car in southwest Springfield.
According to court records, 30-year-old Macey Casteel is charged with 13 counts of animal abuse.
According to the Springfield Police Department, authorities received a call Sunday around 3 a.m. about several dogs inside a car in a parking lot near Battlefield Road and Fort Avenue. The 911 caller told authorities the dogs had been in the car for at least three hours unattended.
Around 6:30 a.m. a Springfield Police Officer checked on the dogs and determined they were not in distress. According to court records, Springfield Animal Control was not going to respond. The officer on scene rescheduled the call for 9 a.m.
According to court documents, around 9:40 a.m., another Springfield police officer went to check on the dogs. When the officer got there, they noticed significant condensation on the inside of the windows and stacks of dog crates in the back seat. The officer also noticed several dogs whining from the inside, as well as some dogs who had died.
The officer got the car open and could feel the heat radiating from inside and said it felt in excess of 100 degrees. The officer began removing the kennels, and at that time, Casteel came out and asked, “Are my puppies ok?”
“When you put those animals in the car, they’re a captive audience, and their life is in your hands,” said Supervisor Kit Baumgartner with Springfield Animal Control.
Casteel was arrested for animal abuse. During her interview with investigators, she said she went to the location around 1:30 a.m. and left her car running with cool air while she was there.
She also told investigators she went to a friend’s house during the night. According to court documents, around 4 a.m., she told her friend to drive her back to her car, and the friend refused.
Casteel told investigators she fell back asleep and woke up and walked back to the location to find police standing around her car. Casteel told authorities she was traveling to Oklahoma to sell the Mini Cockapoo puppies.
Police say Animal Control took the dogs to a vet clinic where several of them had to be euthanized due to heat-related illness. Investigators say only three of the 13 dogs survived.
“When you put those animals in the car, they’re a captive audience, and their life is in your hands,” said Supervisor Kit Baumgartner with Springfield Animal Control.
“When it’s 70 degrees outside, and the dog’s been in the car for half an hour, it can be 105 in the car. When it’s 90 degrees, it can be 125 in half an hour,” said Baumgartner.
“Look for heavy panting, their tongue can be purplish or dark red, really lethargic, and laying in the car” said the Animal control supervisor.
However, officials say if you happen to find a pet locked in a car, call 911 before doing anything to help the pet yourself.
Baumgartner says, “If they felt like the car needed to be unlocked, the police have those resources and can get those resources out on that call.”
Before taking your pet on a ride along, leaders say keeping pets at home is rather your best bet.
“That’s the best place for them; you’re putting them in harm’s way. If we think about humans being in a car, we can wear light clothes, we can wear T-shirts, we can wear shorts. Dogs are wearing fur coats. It’s hot,” he said,” said Baumgartner.
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