LUZERNE COUNTY, PA — A Kingston Township man is facing multiple animal cruelty charges after two golden retrievers died in his pickup truck during a heatwave this past summer.
Police say Jerry Rinkiewicz, 61, left his two dogs locked inside his vehicle with the windows closed for several hours while he was inside a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post in Exeter. The incident occurred in June, when outside temperatures were around 90 degrees.
Rinkiewicz has been charged with several offenses, including felony aggravated cruelty to animals resulting in death and neglect of animals.
The two golden retrievers succumbed to the heat while confined in the truck.