Stuart man charged with dog’s death in hot car
July 21st, 2009 by TCPalm.comSTUART — Stuart Police arrested a man Friday accused of intentionally leaving a woman’s dog locked in a hot car until it died, according to an affidavit released Monday.
Christopher Alan Gunkel, 55, of the 2000 block of Northeast Pinetree Way, was charged with animal cruelty.
The affidavit says Gunkel left the dog in the car with the windows rolled up at an unspecified time Thursday while picking up a prescription near the 600 block of Colorado Avenue.
Gunkel felt too sick to drive home, however, and called a neighbor to give him a ride to his house, the affidavit says. The dog remained in the vehicle until police discovered it dead in the back seat at approximately 10:30 p.m. Friday.
When police questioned Gunkel about leaving the dog in the car, he stated the dog was “sick to begin with,” according to the affidavit.
Gunkel was being held Monday in the Martin County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bond.
TCPalm staff
Tags: arrest, bond, car, death, dies, dog, dogs, driving, housing, jail, man, police, sick, Stuart, woman
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July 21st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I’M A DOG LOVER SO TO READ SOMETHING LIKE THIS MAKES ME SICK
A DOG IS A GIFT FROM HEAVEN,GOD SPELLED BACKWARDS,PEOPLE LIKE THIS DESERVE THE MAXIMUN PENALTY UNDER THE LAW IN A CELL WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING……………
July 21st, 2009 at 1:15 pm
His neighbor should have left him in the car with the dog since he was sick too! Stupidity!! If you don’t want the dog, give it to a shelter. It’s really not that hard if you don’t care about it anyway.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
THIS MAN HAS NO HEART. IF HE WILL DO THIS TO A DEFENSELESS ANIMAL, IMAGINE WHAT ELSE HE WOULD DO! THIS MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH. THIS MAN DESERVES THE MAXIMUM PUNISHMENT FOR THE CRIME. TOO BAD WE CANT LOCK HIM IN A HOT CAR FOR THE WHOLE DAY SO HE CAN SUFFER JUST LIKE THE DOG DID!
July 21st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
And yet no arrests for a$$hole$ who leave their children strapped into car seats and left to die in the back hot cars. Hmmm, makes you wonder why the life of a human child isn’t as valuable as an animal.
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
good job…. thats another dog that we dont have to worry about using our lawns as their bathrooms. LOL