Two people are facing charges relating to animal cruelty after dogs were found without shade or water Monday afternoon on Cedar Street and one of the dogs died from heat stroke.
Animal control was called to a home in the 900 block of Cedar and found three dogs outside without water and two of them with no means of obtaining shelter or shade from the oppressive heat.
An arrest citation says the temperature at 3 p.m. when officers arrived was 95 and the heat index was 110.
Police say 33-year old Mason Lewis of Hopkinsville was carrying a dog that was actively seizing and he acknowledged it was experiencing heat stroke.
He allegedly refused to allow the animal control officer to provide care until police officers arrived and the dog died before arriving at Skyline Animal Clinic, where the animal’s body temperature was determined to be 109 degrees.
Lewis’ wife, 31-year old Sierra Lewis of Hopkinsville, reportedly claimed ownership of one small dog, but said the two other dogs were the responsibility of her minor children. The police report says she told animal control that her dog previously had water, but that all of the bowls were dry.
Animal control says the couple has been told of the requirements for care of their dogs several times over the last two years.
Mason Lewis was cited into court for torture of a cat or dog that leads to death and Sierra Lewis for second-degree cruelty to animals.
The remaining dogs were turned over to the custody of the Christian County Animal Shelter.