Charges are pending against a Griffith man who was driving with a dog in his truck bed while the temperature was in the single digits, according to the Town of Porter Police.
At approximately 1:45 AM on Feb. 20 a Town of Porter Police Officer on patrol in the area of U.S. Highway 20 and I-94 observed “a large canine riding in the exposed bed of a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck,” according to a statement on the Town of Porter Facebook page. The German Shepherd mix, was unprotected in any way from the severe single digit temperatures.
An officer initiated a traffic stop to check the wellbeing of the dog, named “Chica.”
The officer spoke with the driver who identified himself as Chica’s owner. The driver, a Griffith man, stated he was traveling back to Griffith from Chesterton but was quick to state he intended to stay off the expressway due to Chica being in the back.
The officer noted that Chica had ice formed in her whiskers and she didn’t hesitate to jump inside a warm Porter Police vehicle. He also observed there was more than adequate room inside the pickup truck to have accommodated Chica being in the cab rather than the truck bed.
The officer reported the temperature was 9 degrees at the time of the stop. Police said a weather.com calculation indicated the real feel was -19 degrees at 55 MPH for Chica.
Porter County Animal Control was contacted and responded to the scene to take custody of Chica. Burns Harbor and Chesterton Police also assisted at the scene.
“Porter Police would like to remind pet owners that extreme cold is just as dangerous as extreme heat to canines and other domestic animals. We encourage all pet owners to treat these weather conditions seriously, make good decisions, and prevent tragedies,” the Porter Police Department said.
Criminal charges are pending against the Griffith man. His name will not be released until formal charges are secured.