West Texas couple charged after French bulldog dies after being left in hot car with furry sibling

May 11-A 2-year-old French bulldog died after being left inside a parked vehicle for about an hour in East El Paso County, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies responded around 3 p.m. May 9 to the 6900 block of Hueco Tanks Road after a caller reported dogs had been left unattended inside a vehicle that was not running, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff's office. The caller reported that one of the animals appeared to be in distress.

By the time deputies arrived, the dogs' owners, identified as Manuel Frias, 59, and Griselda Gallegos, 55, had returned to the vehicle.

Investigators said the pair attempted CPR on the French bulldog, but the dog was pronounced dead at the scene. A second dog, a 5-year-old Lhasa Apso, survived.

Authorities determined the dogs had been left inside the vehicle for approximately one hour without adequate ventilation or protection from the heat.

Frias and Gallegos were each charged with one count of cruelty to non-livestock animals - failure to provide, and one count of cruelty to non-livestock animals - kill/poison/serious bodily injury. Both were booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on $10,000 bonds.

"Animal cruelty cases are something we take very seriously," Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said in the post. "Pets depend on us for their safety and well-being, and no animal should suffer due to negligence."

Ugarte also warned that temperatures inside parked vehicles can become deadly within minutes, even when outdoor temperatures do not appear extreme.

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