Dog dies in Beaver County after being left in heat with no shade or water for hours; owner charged

BEAVER COUNTY — The Beaver County Humane Society said a dog was found unresponsive after being left outside in the heat for hours on Wednesday with no shade or water.

Sadly, the dog died, and its owner is in the Beaver County Jail facing animal cruelty felony charges.

Di Xiao is accused of leaving her full-grown husky outside yesterday in 90-degree weather.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to her home along Collins Avenue in Baden Borough for an animal in extreme distress.

Police say they found the husky behind the house lying on the ground– tethered – muzzled – with no shade or water and appeared to be lethargic.

RELATED: 5 ways to keep pets safe in hot weather; what to do during heatstroke

Xiao took the dog to the vet where it had a seizure, and began bleeding because its organs were failing. The dog was later euthanized due to heat stroke. According to the complaint, the vet said the dog’s temperature was higher than 109 Fahrenheit and was quote, “cooked from the inside.”

“It is very upsetting and disturbing the dog was laying out there for so long that it was cooking internally,” said Tristan Wenzig, Beaver County humane officer.

Xiao admitted to Wenzig that she didn’t check on the dog for two hours. Last year, the humane officer said he was called to her house for a similar complaint, but everything seemed fine.

“It was a very healthy. It wasn’t outside it was inside the owner was home the owner let me see the dog and it was very healthy,” said Wenzig. “It was a loving dog come to find out what happened yesterday it was very unpredictable from what I saw about a year ago.”

The Beaver County humane society said even 30 minutes is too long for a dog to be outside in this extreme heat. That’s why they’re now warning pet owners of heat stroke signs which include excessive panting, vomiting and lack of appetite. Here’s what you can do to keep your pets safe this summer.

“Keep them indoors if at all possible. Limit their interactions outside. If you’re a runner walk with the dog they will run and they will get overheated and that’s what we are trying to avoid,” said Susan Salyards with the Beaver County Humane Society.

If your dog shows signs of a heat stroke, the humane society said to get them in shade, place wet washcloths under their paws - around their head and chest and offer the dog small amounts of water. Then call your vet immediately.

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