❌SARAH SHARKEY – HERTFORDSHIRE❌
Welwyn Woman Convicted After Three Dogs Die in Overheated Car
A woman from Hertfordshire has been convicted after three of her dogs died when they were left in a car on a hot day.
Sarah Sharkey, 61, of Welwyn, pleaded guilty to four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal after leaving her Irish Setters — Brodie, Sorcha, Seren, and Barclay — in her vehicle for around two hours in Colney Heath on July 4, 2025.
Dogs died from heat exposure
The court heard that Sharkey left the dogs inside the parked car while temperatures soared, leading to dangerously high heat levels within the vehicle. Despite her returning after approximately two hours, three of the dogs — Brodie, Sorcha, and Barclay — had succumbed to the heat.
Only Seren survived, but required emergency veterinary treatment for heatstroke and dehydration.
“A tragic lapse in judgment”
Sharkey, described in court as a long-time dog owner, was said to be “devastated” by the deaths of her pets. The magistrates accepted that she had previously been a responsible owner but had shown a serious lapse in judgment on the day of the incident.
Sentence
Sharkey was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid community work and ordered to pay £85 towards costs. The court did not impose an animal ownership ban, noting her otherwise long history of responsible care.
Animal welfare organisations have since reiterated warnings about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars, even for short periods, as interior temperatures can become lethal within minutes.