McLean Woman Charged After Dog Allegedly Left In Hot Vehicle In Fairfax City

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — A McLean woman was issued a criminal summons after Fairfax City police said officers found a dog in distress inside a parked vehicle during hot weather at Fairfax Commons last week.

Officers responded shortly after 11:30 a.m. Thursday to Fairfax Commons, 3925 Blenheim Blvd., after receiving a report of a dog locked inside a vehicle for an extended period, according to the Fairfax City Police Department. The caller reported the dog had been left in excessive heat. Police said officers found the animal in distress with no cooling available inside the vehicle.

The caller told police the dog had been left in excessive heat. When officers arrived, they found the animal in distress with no cooling available inside the vehicle, police said.

According to the National Weather Service, a Heat Advisory was in effect for Fairfax City on Thursday, with heat index values expected to reach 105 degrees. The forecast called for high temperatures between 91 and 93 degrees before afternoon thunderstorms developed.

Police located the vehicle's owner, identified as Constance Douris, 40, of McLean, and issued her a summons charging her with animal cruelty, a Class 1 misdemeanor under Virginia law.

According to Fairfax City General District Court records, Douris is charged under Virginia Code § 3.2-6570 (Cruelty to Animals Generally). The offense is alleged to have occurred on July 16, and the charge was filed July 20. She was released on summons rather than taken into custody.

An adjudicatory hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sept. 29 in Fairfax City General District Court, according to court records.

A criminal charge is an allegation, and Douris is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.