Dog Dies In Pleasanton, Police Account Questioned

PLEASANTON, CA — A dog died of heatstroke on a Pleasanton balcony Tuesday, according to the Pleasanton Police Department. After the death, community members are questioning the department's handling and reporting of the event.

At noon on Tuesday, it was 100-degrees in Pleasanton.

According to a police department news release, dispatchers received a call at “around noon” of a dog seen on a balcony near Gibraltar and Hacienda drives. The caller reportedly told dispatchers that the dog was seen barking, whining, and exposed to the sun. Pleasanton’s Animal Services Officer contacted the leasing office to locate the dog’s owner, but was unsuccessful. Police said that staff arrived within fifteen minutes and discovered that the dog had died of heatstroke.

PPD said that a video of the dog was circulating on social media “prior to the initial report.”

However, residents on Nextdoor claimed that animal control was contacted first, and took so long to arrive that a woman posted the video on social media in the hopes of getting a faster response, from police or anyone else.

Though PPD said that dispatchers received a call around noon, Nextdoor commenters report that a dispatch order was not given until 12:54 p.m., and PPD personnel are recorded as arriving at around 1:10 p.m., over an hour after they initially called the department.

The Pulsepoint app shows that Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department crews arrived at 12:54 p.m. for a police assist.

PPD spokesperson Teri Yan maintained that the department received a call around noon, and staff arrived within 15 minutes to find that the dog had died.

PPD said in its post that it is conducting a “complete and thorough investigation,” and asked for the community’s patience. The department then advised the public to make sure animals are inside and have access to water on hot days, and if they see an animal in distress, “please report it immediately rather than waiting to share it on social media.”

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