Overview

• Lisa Smith, 59, and Rachel Smith, 32, were charged with animal cruelty and with confining an animal in a motor vehicle causing exposure to extreme heat in Brockton District Court.
• They pleaded not guilty and were released on personal recognizance with conditions that bar them from owning or having unsupervised contact with animals and require mental health evaluations.
• Investigators determined the dogs died from heat exposure after being left in a closed car with no open windows or air conditioning.
• Police responded to a Heather Lane address in Bridgewater on July 16, later reporting the interior temperature of the vehicle had reached at least 130 degrees and that unsanitary conditions were found in the home.
• Prosecutors allege the defendants left to run errands, discovered the dogs dead hours later, and did not contact law enforcement; a pretrial court date is set for December 4.