He was unhappy about the charges being laid, saying: "Coming to court is like killing our dog two times."
On Boxing Day, the pair left their 8-week-old shih tzu-poodle cross in the car for about 90 minutes. They left the window down a little and the dog had food and water, Lee said.
But on their return to the vehicle they discovered the dog had died, so they called the police.
Lee said he felt "really bad" about what happened.
Hans Kriek, of animal advocacy group SAFE, said such instances of shoddy ownership were fairly common. The former SPCA inspector said many owners didn't appreciate how hot it could get inside a vehicle when a dog was left there.