Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time. And for one Florida police officer, thankfully he was exiting his car when a man began yelling to get his attention. He had found something that no one wanted to see on a hot summer’s day – a dog locked inside a car without air conditioning.
The Pinellas County police officer had made a routine stop at the county courthouse, when the concerned citizen flagged him down. The SUV was parked in the outdoor lot, with its windows rolled up and the air conditioning turned off.
Florida dog rescued from hot cat by the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Photo courtesy of the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office
A quick call had more deputies rushing to the courthouse. Officers later said that the dog was left in the car for “about 30-45 minutes” on an 88-degree summer day, which meant that it was likely 120 degrees inside the vehicle when deputies rescued the dog.
As they approached the vehicle, the deputies could see the dog inside, heavily panting and in obvious distress. The officers tried to find the dog’s owners. When they realized they weren’t anywhere nearby, the police quickly made the decision to break the SUV’s window. Once the window was shattered, they quickly got the door open.
The rescue was captured on body cam footage and shows the authorities carefully extracting the small dog from the backseat. The pet was immediately given water and placed in a deputy’s car to cool down. Fortunately, the dog was determined to be in good health even after all he had been through, but the incident serves as a life-or-death reminder of the dangers pets face when left in hot cars.
Florida dog rescued from hot cat by the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Photo courtesy of the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office did not hold back in their social media post following the rescue: “So if it isn’t good enough for you, it’s not good enough for a pet or child. Cracking a window doesn’t help much at all, so don’t consider that to be an option. Just don’t do it.”
They went on to remind the public that “there are way too many situations where that isn’t the case.” The dog’s owners, who were found inside a nearby courtroom, were arrested on charges of animal cruelty.
According to The Humane Society of the United States, temperatures inside a car can skyrocket, leading to “irreparable organ damage and even death” for any pet left behind.
As the summer heat continues, authorities and animal welfare organizations alike urge the public to remain vigilant. Leaving pets in hot cars, even for a short period, can have devastating consequences.
