AURORA, Mo. — As heat continues to roll through the Ozarks, local police departments are unfortunately reminding everyone that pets cannot withstand the heat.
“It is not worth it if the pupper can’t go in with you, leave pupper at home,” Chief Wes Coatney said.
Last week, Aurora-Marionville Police Chief Wes Coatney responded to a call about an elderly dog in distress from being locked in a hot car.
“This particular situation happened at the hospital in Aurora. The owner was going in for some errands,” he said. “She wasn’t a patient, but was in there to run some errands, appointments, and was in there way too long and so we got the dog out.”
Even if a window of the vehicle is cracked, Coatney says that isn’t enough.
“Very, very quickly, a vehicle can get to 120 plus degrees, even with a window cracked,” Coatney said. “A lot of people have this belief that cracking the window down a little bit will move air through the car, which it might move air, but the heat is still there, 120 degrees.”
Just last month, the Springfield Police Department rescued a dog and a cat that were trapped in a hot car.
According to the department, those owners were cited for animal cruelty. Coatney said charges are filed against owners anytime this situation happens.
“If we have to make entry to a vehicle to get a dog out, we will seek charges for animal abuse every time,” he said.
If you see an animal trapped in a hot car this summer, you should contact your local police department.
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