A Monroe man will never be allowed to own an animal again after his dog died locked inside a hot car.

Monroe County Circuit Judge William Nichols sentenced Marc Dunbar, 34, of Monroe on Thursday, Nov. 12, to two years of probation — during which he may not own, possess, or be responsible for the care of any animal — plus 51 days in jail, with 51 days already served.

Police arrested Dunbar in June after officers found his Labrador-Rottweiler mix inside a parked, locked vehicle in the 800 block of Smith Street in Monroe while responding to an animal-welfare complaint. Investigators found the dog had been left unattended for an extended period and died as a result.

Dunbar was arraigned June 12 and pleaded guilty in September to attempted abandoning/cruelty to an animal resulting in death. Before sentencing, he told the court, “I’m sorry, and I wish it didn’t happen.”

Source: The Monroe News

Photo: Charles W. Chapman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)