HUNTSVILLE: When police released a husky from the back of a vehicle it puked on the pavement.

Amir Khojaste-Galeshkhale, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of permitting an animal to be in distress. He received a $250 fine for the charge at the Huntsville courthouse on Sept. 14.

The charge stems from a June 26 incident in which Khojaste-Galeshkhale’s dog was found visibly distressed after being in the back of his vehicle for over an hour-and-a--half in a 30 C day.

Lindsay Jeanes, Crown attorney, said when the police arrived at the parking lot behind a Main Street West store in Huntsville they saw a husky in the back seat panting rapidly. One window in the vehicle was rolled down about four inches.

“Police let the dog out and the interior of the vehicle was extremely hot. The temperature outside was in excess of 30 C not including the humidity. Upon exiting the vehicle the dog proceeded to throw up on the pavement. It appeared to have heat stroke,” said Jeanes.

Witnesses, who told police they had monitored the dog for over an hour, said the husky’s condition became visibly worse over time. They said in the beginning the animal was walking around the back but began panting more and more over time.

The dog, whose name was later determined to be Ace, was taken into a nearby store where it was given water. Once inside it threw up again but then appeared to quickly get better.

When Khojaste-Galeshkhale returned to the vehicle he was co-operative with police and expressed remorse.

Arman Farjoud, the defence attorney for Khojaste-Galeshkhale, submitted a certificate from a veterinary clinic that examined the dog a day after the incident and declares the animal is in good health.

“He’s very remorseful for his actions and understands what he did was wrong,” said Farjoud. “He has suffered quite a bit of shame and the matter was published in, I believe, two online media sources and word did get back to his community and friends and family. He’s quite torn up about that. Having this dog was a childhood dream of his.”