From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — An officer with the Trussville Police Department broke a window out of a vehicle to rescue a dog on Sunday, July 7, 2019.
A concerned citizen first called from the Pinnacle Shopping Center at 2:36 p.m. The caller said the dog had been locked inside a Lexus for over an hour.
When the officer arrived, he noted the dog was panting and appeared distressed, so he broke the window and opened the door. The dog was taken out of the vehicle and given water. Animal Control was called and took the dog to the Greater Birmingham Human Society for evaluation and treatment.
When police talked to the owner of the dog, she said she had only been in Belk for 15 minutes. According to the police report, as the officer was interviewing the woman, she cranked her car and turned on the air conditioner, but told the officer it was too hot to sit in the car while she answered questions.
The woman was ticketed for animal abuse.
Police Chief Eric Rush said his officers have had to break windows to several cars to rescue animals in hot temperatures.
The American Veterinary Medical Association says hundreds of pets die every year after being left in parked vehicles. The AVMA says the temperature inside a vehicle can rise quickly and even on a 70-degree day, the inside of a vehicle can reach 110-degrees. Leaving a pet inside a vehicle can be deadly and cracking a window makes no difference.
If you are unable to bring your pet inside with you, it is recommended that you leave it at home.