A man has been arrested and charged with a third-degree felony count of cruelty to animals after leaving his dog in a 120-degree car at Disney Springs.
Man Arrested at Disney Springs
Raul Benitezautrey, 42, of Philadelphia, has been charged with a third-degree felony count of cruelty to animals stemming from his July 1 arrest at Disney Springs. He has pleaded not guilty, according to Orange County Circuit Court records.
Authorities have stated that Benitezautrey tried to enter Disney Springs with his Chihuahua but was turned away because the entertainment district doesn’t allow pets unless they are trained service animals.
According to the recently released Orange County Sheriff’s arrest report, Benitezautrey returned to his vehicle and then arrived back at the entrance of Disney Springs shortly after that.
This raised alarms for Disney security, who quickly sprung into action. Security searched the Watermelon Lot, eventually finding the dog inside the vehicle with the windows rolled down slightly. The dog was ultimately rescued while Benitezautrey was in Disney Springs with his family.
The arrest report indicated that a small bowl of water and food were left on the vehicle floor. With all doors closed and the windows slightly down, temperatures soared to 120 degrees. Even with the back door open for five minutes, the temperature only dropped to 102 degrees.
After entering Disney Springs around 1:20 p.m., Benitezautrey returned to his car around 3:05 p.m. with his girlfriend and two young children. The arrest report indicates that Benitezautrey attempted to get his dog back from animal control while ignoring the deputy’s orders.
The entire incident took place in front of a three-year-old and a seven-year-old. One of the girls became so upset that she started crying and screaming for her dog. The arrest report indicates that “there was a high probability that the dog could have been seriously harmed with prolonged exposure to the extreme temperatures.”
Benitezautrey and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment this week.
This incident took place less than two months after another incident involving a guest leaving their dogs in a hot car at Disney Springs. On May 4, a man left four puppies in his car at the Lime Parking Garage at Disney Springs while he ate dinner at a restaurant. While three of the puppies survived, one was euthanized after being found in critical condition.
Arrests continue to be all too common at Disney Parks. In June, a woman tried to drunkenly take her child to Magic Kingdom. In that same month, two guests violently attacked EPCOT Cast Members at Space 220 Restaurant.
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