Wealthy venture capitalist leaves dog in scorching hot car – then makes shocking outburst when confronted about her behavior
A wealthy venture capitalist has been criticized for locking her dog in her car on a hot day.
Joana Tieu was branded an ‘animal abuser’ by the angry crowd who saw the dog trapped in the Lexus on Wednesday.
According to angry witnesses, the dog was parked on a San Francisco street for more than half an hour in 73-degree heat.
But when confronted about her behavior, Tieu told the newspaper SF standard the group “needs to draw attention to the things they need to focus on, like homeless people sleeping on the streets.”
The car’s window was slightly cracked, but the Humane Society says that could have little impact on the temperature inside a vehicle, which can reach 116 degrees in an hour when it’s 72 degrees outside.
A wealthy venture capitalist has been criticized for locking her dog in her car on a sweltering day
Tieu is vice president of Walden International, a global technology and semiconductor company.
Video taken at the scene shows the dog barking repeatedly as concerned passersby talk to animal control on the phone.
A man is seen checking how much time is left on the parking meter, while the group speculates when the car’s owner will return.
Joana Tieu was branded an ‘animal abuser’ by the angry crowd who saw the dog stuck in the Lexus on Wednesday
“I’m going to publicly shame them,” the man says as he films the Lexus earlier after Tieu comes into view.
“We’re trying to locate the owner,” he tells her, causing her to turn around in surprise.
“From the dog?” She responds by gesturing to the vehicle.
“Yes, the dog was locked inside, everyone was worried, see all those people?” He asks.
As she gets into her car, another woman approaches and says she has animal control on the phone.
According to angry eyewitnesses, the dog was parked on the street in San Francisco for more than half an hour in 73-degree heat.
“You left your dog in the car for over half an hour in this heat, shame on you,” she shouts through the window.
‘Do you want to talk to Animal Control? You are a sh***y dog owner. You should be ashamed. You should be ashamed.’
As Tieu drives away, the woman yells at her, calling her an “animal abuser,” while another woman shouts, “Never leave your dog in a hot car.”
In an interview with SF Standard, Tieu claimed that her dog was left in the car for only a short time while she went to a doctor’s appointment and was run over.
‘He can’t be alone because he’s miserable. He’s not used to it,” she said. ‘I have no one to watch over him. I have to take him with me.’
She also accused the concerned crowd of being “rude” to her.
But the Human Society warns that it is never acceptable to leave a dog in a vehicle.
“Leaving pets locked in cars is never safe,” the nonprofit said. ‘But when the weather warms up, it could be deadly. High temperatures can cause irreparable organ damage and even death.’