2 dogs die after locked in car in 78 degree weather, Volusia County deputies say

Florida man arrested after 2 die in car from heat stroke

A Florida man, David Micale, was arrested after a man, appearing to be drunk near a DeLand Walmart, left his dogs in a car. Both dogs later died from heat stroke, deputies said. 

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man was arrested after deputies said he left his two dogs in a hot car for hours – resulting in both of their deaths. 

What we know:

Deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff's office arrested David Micale, 61, from DeLand after two dogs died shortly after being left unattended in a car in a Walmart parking lot. 

Micale is facing two felony charges of animal torture to inflict serious pain or death. 

David Micale, 61, was arrested after deputies said he left his two dogs in a hot car, which led to their death. (Source: Volusia County Sheriff's office)

2 dogs found in car: Doors locked, windows closed

Authorities were first notified of the dogs left unattended in a vehicle – in which the doors were locked and windows were closed – just before 1 p.m., April 6 by two shoppers who saw the dogs left in the car as the pets' apparent owner "stumbled" toward a wooded area near Walmart, deputies said in an arrest affidavit. 

After returning to their car two hours later, after shopping, the bystanders said the dogs were still in the with no sight of their owner, and they called the authorities, the affidavit said. It was 78 degrees outside, the affidavit said. 

The responding deputy saw one dog panting in the car and the second lying down in the back seat, the sheriff's office said. The deputy opened the front door, but closed it after not knowing if the dogs were aggressive, the affidavit said.  

David Micale, 61, was arrested after deputies said he left his two dogs in a hot car, which led to their death. (Source: Volusia County Sheriff's office)

Dogs' owner appeared under the influence: Deputies

Micale was found in the wooded area, claiming he was taking a nap after he was drinking by his truck, deputies said. When Micale – who a deputy noted had an alcohol smell coming from his breath – was asked how long the dogs were in the car, he appeared confused and replied, "a couple of hours," the affidavit said. The deputy said Micale was stumbling and struggling to keep his balance. 

After Micale was asked to put his dogs on a leash and to get them out of the car, a deputy noticed it was taking a long time, the affidavit said. The deputy saw both dogs on the ground: one wasn't breathing and the second was barely breathing, the deputy said. Micale was attempting to take the dog that was still breathing to a veterinarian, the affidavit said. 

When asked when Micale had last taken the dogs out of the car, he said, around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. 

David Micale, 61, was arrested after deputies said he left his two dogs in a hot car, which led to their death. (Source: Volusia County Sheriff's office)

2 dogs die from heat stroke

The dog that was alive and breathing died on the way to the veterinarian, the affidavit said. The internal temperature of the dog was 109 degrees and had symptoms consistent with heat stroke, the sheriff's office said. 

Micale was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail without incident.