Phoenix Police respond to 2 dogs chained outside in record-breaking heat, owner charged with felonies
PHOENIX - Phoenix Police officers jumped right into action to save the lives of two dogs chained up in a backyard.
The Valley was experiencing record-breaking heat last week when two Phoenix Police Officers received an emergency priority one call.
"It comes out as an injured animal," said Officer Laura.
Luckily, they were in the neighborhood near 14th and Willetta Streets.
(Screenshot provided from Phoenix Police video)
Responding to the home, they could see two dogs in distress.
"The residents had a waist-high fence. You could see the whole property," said Officer Busch.
"When we got to the side of the house, one of the dogs is barking and howling at the moon just in complete distress," said Officer Castaneda. "The second had collapsed."
In the body camera video, you can hear the dog struggling to breathe.
The darker one is Chungo. The other is Sonya.
"No doghouse, no food, no water," Officer Castaneda said.
There was no shade. You can see officers immediately start dousing them in water from the hose.
"The dogs, unfortunately, were chained to a pole, and they were chained with a metal chain-link chain," said Castaneda. The chain was only about four feet long.
Officer Busch, carrying Sonya to the back of his patrol car, rushed her to the hospital.
"They just took her on their cart on their gurney and wheeled her back," said Busch.
Unfortunately, she died.
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"That's a little rough for me only because I had two Pitbulls that resemble these too closely," Busch expressed with emotion.
Chungo survived and is now with the Humane Society.
The homeowner in this case faces two felonies and city code violations.
"The heat affects dogs just like it affects us," Busch pointed out.
Phoenix Police want you to remember this: "If you see something say something. Luckily for us, that witness was an amazing witness, and she's the reason why the other dog lived," said Officer Castaneda.