PHOENIX — Editor's note: The Phoenix Police Department originally said the man was detained but later issued an update which said the man was issued a citation for failing to leave a park.
A man was issued a citation after one of his two dogs died from heat while hiking Piestewa Peak on Wednesday.
According to Phoenix Fire, the hiker called 911 just after 11 a.m. and told the dispatcher he and his dogs were hiking Summit Trail and were suffering from heat-related illnesses.
Crews quickly located the man about 300 yards from the trailhead.
One of the dogs was deceased by the time the fire department arrived. The other dog is now recovering at the Humane Society, officials said, after the dog was in heat distress.
The man, identified as 29-year-old Daniel Milunovic, declined transportation to the hospital.
Police said there is an ongoing investigation into animal cruelty relating to the deceased dog, which includes a medical evaluation of the deceased dog and the surviving dog.
"This is a perfect example of why you don't bring your animals hiking with you on these trails," said Todd Keller with Phoenix Fire Department.
Keller told 12News the hiker is from out of town. 12News spoke to Milunovic on the phone, but he declined to comment on the matter.
The Arizona Humane Society told 12News that the dog that died is a 4-year-old male Rhodesian Ridgeback. The dog that survived is a 2-year-old female Belgian Malinois that is in stable condition and under observation. She was seized from Milunovic.
"There is an excessive heat warning, your dog, you, should not be out on the trails right now," Keller said. "They are closed from 11 to five."
Officials are reminding hikers that dogs are banned on Phoenix trails when temperatures reach 100 degrees or higher. Dogs are also not allowed on certain trails year-round.
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