FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth police are investigating the deaths of three dogs who were left in a hot a car. Owners say the animals were being taken care of by an experienced dog trainer.
"Not under any circumstance should they have left my dog or anyone's dog," said Brooke King, one of the owners.
King's dog, Vinny, was a six-pound toy Pomeranian who also served as her service dog. She said she had paid thousands of dollars to a trainer she believed was highly qualified to help acclimate Vinny to different scenarios.
"How to act in grocery stores. How to act when we went shopping," she explained. "I suffer from depression and anxiety, and I brought him on work trips on planes with me. Wherever I went, that dog was by my side."
According to King and another dog owner, the trainer left their dogs in a vehicle with the air conditioner running while she went inside a veterinary clinic to visit with some former colleagues. The trainer told the owners her car was equipped with a sensor to warn her if it got too hot.
"Apparently the sensor never went off and the car had died and there was no air circulating," King said.
Police confirm that they are investigating the deaths, and a report has been filed about possible animal cruelty. The trainer, Sherri Taylor, did not respond to WFAA's calls or text messages requesting comment.
King said she is considering legal action of her own, and she wants to work to raise awareness about the dangers for pets left in cars. Vinny had his own Instagram account where she would post images for his friends and followers, and now she is also using Instagram to help launch a foundation in his honor.
"I want people to not be afraid to ask those questions, 'Are you leaving my dog in a car when you and pick up other animals?'" King said. "So people know to ask, and just to know it's not okay to leave a dog in a car, no matter what."