“There is little that saddens us more than seeing a dog in distress,” Roswell Police Department wrote after officers responded to a call about a dog in a hot car. The temperature in the Georgia town was around 97 degrees outside, making the temperature inside the car sweltering hot.
“Today, officers were called out to a parking lot where a customer spotted a dog locked in a car. While the dog’s owner was shopping inside the cool, air-conditioned store, her animal was suffering inside the sweltering hot vehicle,” Roswell Police shared on their Facebook page. “It’s 97 degrees outside! Although the front windows were cracked, officers show that the temperature inside the car was 150 degrees.”
150°F (65°C) is hot enough to cause a dog serious distress, if not death. Extreme heat is extra tough on dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paw pads.
Officers on the scene noticed the vehicle’s front window was rolled down but the elderly dog was in the back seat and getting overheated despite the front window being open.
They recorded a video of the dog and the rescue, hoping to raise awareness and as a reminder to pet parents to not leave their dogs in hot cars. Note: The video below may take a few seconds to load.
Initially unable to locate the dog’s owner, officers removed the dog from the vehicle and called Roswell Fire to help the dog. “The dog was cooled off with running water from a hose, and he was provided water to drink,” the department said.
The dog is doing well after the incident and the driver was located and charged with Cruelty to Animals.
Roswell Police noted that they have responded to a high number of calls of dogs trapped in hot cars and want to remind everyone to take precautions. “We know that dog owners love their pets, and aren’t intentionally trying to harm them, but people must know that temperatures inside the car can soar to scorching heights within minutes,” they wrote.
“Please help us spread the word to NEVER leave pets inside of a hot car, and know that we will always respond to help these animals when you call 9-1-1!”
I’m glad that this dog was okay and that the police are being so proactive in raising awareness about this issue. It’s just sad that people continue to make this mistake.
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