Dog left tied to pole outside Las Vegas shelter in 100-degree heat

By Stephanie Overton

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A dog was left tied to a pole outside of a Las Vegas animal shelter Friday morning as temperatures in the valley continued to rise.

At around 9 a.m., Nevada SPCA employees found a dog abandoned and tethered to a pole outside of the shelter, lying in the sun on hot concrete.

Friday has a high temperature of 108, according to the 8 News Now Most Accurate Forecast.

The NSPCA said in a social media post that the dog was terrified and would not allow employees to get near him. Even though this made it unsafe for the team to untether the dog from the pole, staff acted quickly and sprayed cooling misters toward him, as well as sliding a bowl of water within his reach.

After nearly an hour where the dog remained tethered and “visibly stressed,” Clark County Animal Protective Services arrived and took the dog safely into its care.

The NSPCA said security cameras from the building captured the vehicle and the moment the dog was tethered. The license plate on the vehicle was visible, and NSPCA said it turned that footage over to the Animal Protective Services, who opened an investigation.

“This is a heartbreaking reminder of why education and accessible resources for pet owners are so important,” Lori Heeren, Executive Director at Nevada SPCA, said. ”No animal deserves to be left behind, especially in such unsafe conditions. We’re grateful for the quick action of our team and our partners at Animal Protective Services.”

This incident comes as Animal Control officers investigated another distressing case near downtown Friday morning: a dead dog found in a crate next to a dumpster.

“No animal deserves to be left in fear and distress like this⁣”⁣, the NSPCA wrote. “Abandonment is illegal—and it is never the answer.⁣⁣⁣”

The NSPCA added that if an owner is struggling or is unsure what to do, they can reach out to the shelter, which has resources and support available.