Police: Don't Leave Pets in Hot Cars

On Wednesday, when temperatures peaked at over 90 degrees, Hastings police received a report of a dog left in a vehicle in front of on Warburton Avenue.

An officer arrived to find the car with a dog inside and the rear window only cracked; he searched for the owner and found him exiting the store. 

No summonses were issued and the dog appeared fine.

But on July 5, 2010  left his maltese in his van while he, his girlfriend and daughter went to cool off at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in Yorktown. The temperature outside was more than 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and the vehicle interior was approximately 140 degrees.

New York State Park Police broke into the vehicle and removed the animal. They put the dog under shade and offered water, which it could not drink. It died approximately an hour and a half after the owner had left it there. The owner was charged with animal cruelty, a misdemeanor. 

According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, it is against the law in 14 states—New York included—to leave a dog unattended in a standing or parked motor vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety of the animal.

Read New York's law here. 

As temperatures rise, experts suggest you either leave your dog at home while you run errands or make sure your pet can come with you when you exit the car.

Here are some hot weather tips for dog owners courtesy of the ASPCA.