Two police officers saved a distressed dog that was locked in a U-Haul truck in the stifling Florida heat while the pup’s owners relaxed at the beach over the weekend.
The New Smyrna Beach Police Department released body-camera footage Monday of the officers finding the heavily panting pit bull trapped in the sweltering moving truck as temperatures outside approached 90 degrees.
The dog was left in the vehicle with only the passenger side window slightly cracked open.
“The temperature outside at the time was 86 degrees with no cloud cover, meaning the temperature inside the vehicle was likely 100 degrees or more,” the post read.
A bystander noticed the pup locked in the hotbox and immediately contacted the police.
The Good Samaritan reported that the dog had been trapped in the hot truck for nearly an hour when they reported the sad finding to the police.
The dog was left without water, and the U-haul was parked in a spot with “no cover,” according to the department.
The two officers were as kind as they could be to the abandoned dog before they rescued it from the truck— talking kindly to the pup to calm it down, giving it water through the cracked window, and, at one point, even offering it a Slim Jim, the video shows.
The pup was safely removed and taken to the Southeast Volusia Humane Society.
The owners left their dog in the hot truck so they could go to the beach, according to the department.
“Charging affidavits were sent to the State Attorney’s Office for both owners of the dog,” the department shared.
Police did not release the owners’ names or what charges they may face if the State Attorney’s Office chooses to prosecute them.
The department thanked “the vigilant person who noticed the dog in the car and reported it so we could help.”
They also used the opportunity to share a stern reminder with the public.
“Never leave an animal or a child alone inside a vehicle, even for a short period. It could be deadly.”
Leaving pets inside a parked vehicle is considered animal cruelty in the state of Florida.
A dog trapped inside a hot vehicle can suffer a potentially fatal heat stroke in as little as 15 minutes, depending on the temperature outside and the age of the dog.
The average internal temperature for a dog is around 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Unlike humans, dogs do not have sweat glands all over their bodies and must rely on panting to cool down.
Heatstroke occurs when a dog’s body temperature rises to 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
