A local truck driver was charged with animal cruelty Sunday for leaving her dog in her semi-trailer in Grovetown before a passerby noticed the animal panting from 160-degree heat inside.
Vanessa Holden Bryant, a 27-year-old truck driver for U.S. Enterprises, was arrested Sunday after authorities discovered the Shar Pei canine left in a locked semi-truck cab without water or ventilation.
The incident began when a woman walking nearby reported seeing a dog panting and licking the windows of the truck around 1:16 p.m., according to a sheriff’s report. The Good Samaritan attempted to get the driver’s attention by knocking on the doors but received no response. Concerned for the animal’s welfare, she contacted the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies arrived on the scene at 1:23 p.m. Sunday and found the tan dog inside the cab, panting heavily. All doors were locked, prompting a request for a secondary unit with a lockout kit. Animal Control was notified and arrived at 1:55 p.m., measuring the internal temperature of the vehicle at a staggering 160 degrees.
Deputy Csira gained access to the cab by 2:29 p.m., finding the dog without water, ventilation, or air conditioning. A tag on the dog provided a phone number belonging to Bryant, who claimed she had checked on the dog a few hours prior and was staying at the Econo Lodge on Jimmie Dyess Parkway.
Bryant was taken into custody and charged with cruelty to animals. Animal Control took possession of the dog, which was housed at a shelter until Bryant posted bail, a report said.
