‘Accidental tragedy’: Evidence shows dog inadvertently trapped self on balcony before heat stroke death, police say

The case of a dog dying from heat stroke after being trapped on an apartment balcony amid hot weather in Pleasanton on Tuesday is being considered an “accidental tragedy” with no sign of criminal negligence, a police spokesperson told the Weekly on Thursday evening. 

The Pleasanton Police Department first reported the dog’s death on Tuesday evening, after social media posts made the rounds about the pet being seen and heard in distress on the balcony in the multi-story apartment building at the corner of Gibraltar and Hacienda drives in the late morning and early afternoon. 

After conducting interviews and reviewing video footage from the scene, investigators determined the dog pushed open the swing door from the apartment unit to the balcony – which had been left unsecured – and then could not regain entry inside after the door closed behind it, according to Pleasanton police Lt. Nicholas Albert.

Police have found no evidence of animal cruelty or neglect and are not pursuing criminal charges related to the death, which they are deeming as accidental, according to Albert. He added that the department had never been called to that unit before for any animal welfare-related issues.

The lieutenant said officials urge compassion and “respect for all parties involved, including the owner in this time of grief.”

Albert also spoke to the Weekly about the sequencing of the police response, which has been a source of contention between the department and witnesses and other commenters on social media since the day of the incident. 

The department originally stated that the initial call came in around noon about a dog in distress on an apartment balcony and a police staff member arrived at the scene “within fifteen minutes of being dispatched to the call”, but no specific timeline was shared. 

Residents on the ground contended that there was a gap of nearly an hour between when the first call was made just before noon Tuesday and when the department arrived at the apartment unit after 1 p.m., including a lag in actual dispatch time — a timeframe that irked some, especially when the police statement Tuesday implied people were posting on social media about the yelping dog before reporting the case to PPD. 

“Additionally, we want to emphasize the importance of acting quickly involving animal welfare concerns. If you see something, please report it immediately rather than waiting to share it on social media … If you witness any animals in distress, please call 9-1-1 right away,” police said in the original press release.

Albert said Thursday that the original call to police came in around noon Tuesday, and around 30 minutes later the call was dispatched to the department’s animal services officer for investigation. The department’s dispatch process to assess and prioritize calls based on the information provided accounted for the half-hour, pre-assignment period, he said. 

“We would also like to remind the public that, when calling 9-1-1, to provide as much detail as possible so calls can be prioritized for the appropriate response,” Albert said in the department’s press release update on the case later Thursday evening. 

The animal services officer arrived at the apartment complex within 15 minutes of the call being dispatched to her, Albert said. The complex is locked to the outside and the exact unit involved was not specified in the dispatch call, so the animal services officer went to the leasing office and she and a representative worked to identify and contact the resident, according to the lieutenant. 

The dog’s owner could not be immediately reached, but as the ensuing process played out, the owner arrived and entry was gained into the apartment in conjunction with the owner “within minutes” of when the officer first arrived, according to Albert. They found the dog had died from heat stroke. 

“A local veterinarian confirmed that the cause of death was fatal heat stroke, with no other signs of injury or neglect,” Albert stated in the Thursday press release. “It is important to note that fatal heat stroke can occur within an hour of exposure to direct sunlight.”

Police initiated a “thorough investigation” into the dog’s death, which included obtaining and reviewing video evidence and “a neighborhood canvass” with interviews of multiple neighbors, according to Albert. 

“The video footage indicates that the dog exited the apartment between 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., and subsequent evidence confirms that the dog was unable to regain entry into the apartment unbeknownst to the owner,” Albert stated. “We determined that the dog inadvertently let itself out onto the balcony and tragically succumbed to heat stroke while the owner was away from the residence.”

“Our staff thoroughly investigated allegations of animal neglect reported to the leasing office, and these allegations were unfounded,” the lieutenant said. “Additionally, the Pleasanton Police Department has no prior history of calls for service regarding animal welfare at this address.”

Albert declined to confirm the breed of the dog or which level of the apartment was on in the complex, other than to say it was multiple stories above the ground, citing a desire to support the privacy of the dog’s owner who is not facing criminal charges. 

“We kindly request that the public show respect for all parties involved, particularly the dog owner during this time of grief,” Albert added. “Due to the high volume of calls and public concern regarding this incident, we will be increasing police patrols in the neighborhood.”

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