Bexley: Peter Zangas to fight animal cruelty charge

A southwest Sydney man says he is not guilty of “torturing” an animal because when he left his dog in a hot car the ignition was on, “the air con running” and it had “ample water”.

Peter Zangas leaves Bankstown Local Court on Thursday after pleading not guilty to an animal cruelty charge.

A man who allegedly left a dog in a hot car for several hours, resulting in the dog’s death, will fight an animal cruelty charge in court.

Peter Zangas, 49, of Bexley, was charged with committing an act of aggravated cruelty upon an animal, leave a vehicle with the engine on, and not removing the ignition key in an unattended vehicle over the alleged incident on December 7.

Police will allege a member of the public called police after seeing a dog in distress in a vehicle parked in a driveway on Gibson Ave, Padstow, at about 10am.

Officers located a Toyota sedan with the engine still running and a dog allegedly inside. The dog, a five-year-old rottweiler cross, was later declared dead at a local vet.

Peter Zangas will next appear in Bankstown Local Court on February 24.

Zangas appeared before a Registrar at Bankstown Local Court on Thursday where he pleaded not guilty to the animal cruelty charge.

He pleaded guilty to the other charges.

During a brief mention of his matter, Zangas told the Registrar he “didn’t think he was guilty of torturing an animal”.

“I’m living in that car and I was at work at the time,” he said.

“It was hot that day, and I thought the best thing was to leave her in the car with the aircon running.”

He later said the dog had “ample water” while in the car.

The Registrar adjourned Zangas’ matter to February 24 at Bankstown Local Court to give the prosecution time to serve a brief of evidence.

Zangas was also given an autopsy report for the dog by the prosecution.