A Canton woman has been charged after authorities say her puppy died when left inside a hot vehicle in late July.
Tawanna Cox, 49, faces charges of animal cruelty and falsification, according to Stark County court records.
Hartville police said Cox left a 6-to-8-week-old puppy inside her vehicle while shopping at a thrift store for more than an hour on July 28. Investigators said the dog did not have access to water or ventilation, and the vehicle’s air conditioning was not running. Temperatures that day reached about 90 degrees.
Witnesses told police they heard a woman crying out “she’s dead” after removing a pet carrier from her car.
Cox initially told officers she had taken the puppy inside the store by hiding it under her shirt, but investigators said surveillance video did not support that claim.
She was arrested Monday and later released from the Stark County jail on a $2,500 bond. She is scheduled to return to court at a later date.
