A Cape Breton woman has been charged after a dead dog was removed from a vehicle here in Halifax.

The Nova Scotia SPCA says the woman left the dog inside the car for an undetermined amount of time.

Halifax Regional Police found the animal in a local parkade, and sent the remains to a pathologist for a necropsy.

Bethany MacLean of Little Narrows will be in court today on charges of willfully causing unnecessary suffering or injury to an animal, along with failing to provide adequate food, water and shelter.

“I’m very pleased have jointly worked on this file with Halifax Regional Police who brought charges forward. Sadly, it was a very unfortunate outcome for the dog,” said chief provincial inspector of the Nova Scotia SPCA Jo-Anne Landsburg in a news release.

She told NEWS 95.7 this isn’t something that’s seen very often.

“It is certainly an uncommon and unfortunate circumstance,” she said. “We don’t see this happen often so it was very disturbing to say the least.”

The organization says the public can report acts of animal cruelty by calling their confidential hotline at 1-888-703-7722.