A 6-year-old black Labrador retriever named Miller died Wednesday after allegedly being left inside a locked cage in a Waggles Pet Resort transport van for hours in Wheeling, Illinois. His owner, Steve Serota, says a driver picked Miller up around 9 a.m. and that he did not get a call about his dog's death until roughly 4 p.m. that same day.
Serota's family had used Waggles Pet Resort several times a week for five years, relying on the Wheeling daycare to give their 110-pound lab a chance to socialize with other dogs, according to ABC7 Chicago. Serota said Miller was found locked in a cage inside a van at the facility, and that he had allegedly been left in a hot vehicle for hours. “He was the definition of a good boy who loved everybody,” Serota said, describing Miller as more than a pet and an important part of the family.
Wheeling saw ambient high temperatures between 91°F and 94°F on the day Miller died, with heat indices pushing the afternoon feel as high as 100°F, per weather records from Time and Date. Research cited by the American Veterinary Medical Association shows that the interior of a parked vehicle can climb 20 degrees in as few as 10 minutes and nearly 30 degrees within 20 minutes. Veterinary reporting from WUFT News notes that dogs cool themselves mainly through panting and footpad sweat glands, making them especially vulnerable once enclosed air temperatures push past 85°F.
A Chauffeur Service Built on Safety Promises
Waggles Pet Resort markets a specialized “pet resort chauffeur service” that uses Mercedes Metris vans it describes as temperature-controlled and fully ventilated, equipped with safety carriers or tethers, to shuttle pets across Chicago's northern suburbs. The company offers pickup and drop-off transport across Wheeling, Northbrook, Deerfield, Glenview, and Winnetka during its standard business hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The business, owned by attorney Ross Neihaus, officially opened at 419 Harvester Court in Wheeling in November 2020 after Neihaus purchased the existing operation, then called “For the Love of Dogs,” in May 2019, according to a PressCable release. The Village of Wheeling Board of Trustees granted special use approval in June 2022 authorizing commercial animal care operations at that Harvester Court address.
Company Response and Family's Push for Accountability
Waggles Pet Resort released a statement addressing Miller's death, saying it was devastated about the incident involving a dog on one of its buses. The company said it is reaching out to customers individually to discuss the situation.
Serota said there has to be accountability when incidents like this happen, and his family says they are speaking publicly to help prevent similar incidents from happening to other pets and families in the future.
What Illinois Law Says About Hot-Car Confinement
Under Section 7.1 of the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act (510 ILCS 70/7.1), confining an animal in a vehicle under extreme heat or cold without proper ventilation is a Class C misdemeanor, carrying up to 30 days in jail and fines as high as $1,500, with repeat violations elevated to a Class B misdemeanor, according to the Illinois General Assembly. The same statute authorizes police officers, animal control officers, and Illinois Department of Agriculture investigators to enter a vehicle by any reasonable means to rescue a confined animal when probable cause exists.
Commercial dog daycares and boarding facilities in Illinois, including operations like Waggles, are regulated under the Illinois Animal Welfare Act (225 ILCS 605) and must hold state licenses issued by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which subjects them to inspection and facility standards. It remains unclear whether Wheeling police or state investigators with the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare have opened a formal inquiry into Miller's death or into the facility's license status.
