SC man cited with animal cruelty after dog left in car in parking lot

A man was cited for cruelty to animals Monday after leaving his dog inside a car in a Bluffton shopping center parking lot, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

The dog was found locked inside the car around 12:30 p.m. Monday, Capt. Bob Bromage said. The windows were open about a quarter of an inch. The owner had returned to the car before deputies arrived, Bromage said.

The heat index at the time the dog was found was about 110 degrees, Bromage said. The dog was panting when the deputies arrived, but was otherwise unhurt.

Bromage said the man was cited under a state statute for animal cruelty and has a court date June 25 in Bluffton Magistrate Court.