Nashville Woman Facing Charges After Dead Dog Found in Parked Car

Nashville, Tennessee – A woman is facing animal cruelty charges after police found a dead dog on the seat of a Nissan Pathfinder parked at the Wendy’s parking lot on Vantage Way Court. The grim discovery was made on Tuesday when the temperature climbed over 90-degrees.

The dog’s owner, identified as 49-year-old Tina Wessels, gave officers conflicting information about what happened. She told one officer that her two dogs were “spazzing out” inside of the car when she returned from the fast-food restaurant’s bathroom. She claims that she tried to lift the dog out of the SUV, but it was too heavy and she watched the dog take its last breath.

She told another officer that she DID remove the dog from the SUV, and it became aggressive when she offered water. She said the dog tried to get under the car, but then she realized the dog was dying and tried unsuccessfully to provide CPR. She continued to explain that she put the dog back in the vehicle on the seat, in a blanket, after the dog died.

Police found another dog hiding under Wessels’ vehicle. The police reported finding an “aggressive, severely emaciated” Boston terrier with missing hair on its tail – it is unclear where that dog is now. Wessels was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and booked into jail in Davidson County; she bonded out of jail and is due in court on July 24.

Police learned Wessels had been living in her vehicle with the two dogs and had no money for food or gas.

Facts about the dangers of hot cars

• Within 10 minutes, the interior of a parked car can rise by 10–20°F above the outside temperature.
• After 30 minutes, it can be 30–40°F hotter than the air outside.
• On a 92°F day (like the one in Nashville), the inside of a closed car can reach 120–130°F in less than an hour.
• Even with windows cracked open, the temperature barely drops — usually only 2–3°F lower than a fully closed car.
• Animals and children can suffer heatstroke or die within minutes once interior temperatures exceed 100°F.
• Dark interiors and direct sunlight accelerate heating dramatically; dashboards and seats can reach 150–180°F.
• The National Weather Service and American Veterinary Medical Association both warn that leaving pets in cars, even for “just a few minutes,” can be fatal.