A Las Vegas man is facing a felony animal cruelty charge after police say he left his 10-year-old Siberian husky inside a hot car for more than three hours, leading to her death from heatstroke.

Eric Lee Ward, 30, was arrested on September 8 on one count of willfully or maliciously torturing, maiming, or killing a companion animal resulting in death.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Ward placed his dog, Lana, in the back seat of his Audi SUV on the morning of July 30, planning to take her to the park.

He and a friend stopped for breakfast first, a stop that stretched on far longer than planned.

During the outing, Ward got into a phone argument with a woman identified in the arrest report as his “sugar momma,” who was trying to cancel their dinner plans.

The dispute triggered an anxiety attack, and Ward drove home around 11 a.m. while still on the call.

Rather than bringing Lana inside, Ward left her in the vehicle while he went in to eat and relax with his friend. When the friend later asked where Lana was, Ward told him she was with a neighbor, according to the arrest report.

Ward did not return to the car until roughly 2:20 p.m., when he went looking for his misplaced wallet. He found Lana already dead in the backseat, with blood coming from her mouth.

The high temperature in Las Vegas that afternoon reached 111 degrees, according to police. Ward rushed Lana to Aloha Animal Hospital near Torrey Pines Drive and Warm Springs Road, where veterinary staff reported her death to animal protection officials.

A necropsy performed on August 7 determined that Lana died of severe heatstroke and organ failure, reports FOX5 Las Vegas.

Nevada law shields veterinarians and other reporters of suspected animal cruelty from having their identities released, which allowed hospital staff to flag the case without fear of retaliation.

Ward was booked into the Clark County Detention Center following his arrest, and bail was set at $5,000. He posted bail and was released after a court appearance, and he is due back for a status check on October 6.

The felony charge against Ward falls under Nevada’s Cooney’s Law, which made the intentional torture, mutilation, or killing of a companion animal a felony offense in the state.

Las Vegas saw repeated stretches of triple-digit heat this summer, and a car’s interior can climb well past the outside air temperature within minutes, even with the windows cracked.

Dog owners are urged to never leave a pet unattended in a vehicle, no matter how short the stop seems.