Pair Left Puppy In Hot Truck For Hours While Drinking, Police Say

HYANNIS (CBS) -- Two men are facing animal cruelty charges for allegedly leaving a puppy in a hot truck for 10 hours while they went out drinking.

Barnstable police said they first came into contact with 29-year-old Justin Wagner of Fall River and 27-year-old Matthew Bernier of Westport when the intoxicated pair refused to leave to leave the Tap City Grill in Hyannis at about 12:30 a.m. Monday morning.

About 40 minutes later, police were called again because Wagner and Bernier wanted to report that their truck was stolen. Officials said it turned out both were just too drunk to remember where they left the truck.

Police said after taking a belligerent and uncooperative Bernier into protective custody, they learned a dog may have been left in the truck while the men "spent the evening drinking on Main Street."

"The puppy was last left in the vehicle around 5:00 p.m.," police said. "The temperature at the time was 82 degrees with humidity at 65%."

Multiple officers searched for the truck on Main Street, where it was finally found at about 3 a.m.

"Officers found that the vehicle's windows were not open at all and there was a dog inside in distress," police said. "The German Shepard puppy was panting heavily and appeared frightened."

Police gave the dog several bottles of water and it slowly returned to normal. The dog was nicknamed "Midnight" and turned over to Barnstable Animal Control.

Wagner and Bernier were arraigned on felony animal cruelty charges in Barnstable District Court Monday morning.