Girlfriend charged in death of dog

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Two women are facing animal cruelty charges after Newport News Police say they left dogs locked inside their vehicles. One of those dogs died as a result.

Holly McPherson with the Newport News Police Department told WAVY.com officers received the first call Monday afternoon around 1:45 p.m. in the area of Hiden Boulevard and Warwick Boulevard for a dog that had been inside a vehicle all day. When they arrived, they reportedly found the small, one-year-old Yorkshire Terrier locked inside a crate in a vehicle.

The vehicle was locked and the windows were up, McPherson said.

The four pound dog was transported to a local veterinarian after police were able to locate the owner of the vehicle, Julie Elisma, 24, of Raleigh, N.C. Elisma was dog-sitting for her boyfriend, McPherson said.

According to McPherson, the dog was left inside the vehicle for several hours while Elisma was attending an orientation at a business office in the area. Elisma was issued a summons for animal cruelty.

The dog was then euthanized due to his condition, at which time a felony arrest warrant for animal cruelty was issued for Elisma. She turned herself in Tuesday.

Around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, an officer was alerted of a separate Yorkshire Terrier that was inside a parked vehicle for about 45 minutes in Yoder Plaza and Jefferson Avenue. McPherson said the officer found the windows of the vehicle down about six to eight inches and was able to pull the dog out.

About 20 minutes later, McPherson said the dog’s owner, Mary Chalk, 29, returned to her vehicle after shopping at one of the stores. The dog was treated at the PetSmart.

McPherson said the temperature inside the vehicle was determined to be between 123 and 141 degrees at different spots.

Chalk was issued a summons for misdemeanor animal cruelty.