DULUTH, Ga. — The summertime comes with beautiful sunshine, a whole lot of heat and "quick trips" inside of stores. That often comes with man's best friend being left inside with owners planning to come "right back."
Unfortunately, sometimes quick isn't quick enough.
On Wednesday dramatic body camera video of a bystander pulling a panting dog from a locked Porsche in a Duluth gym parking lot was released.
Back in June, a woman faced animal cruelty charges after officers had to rescue a dog from 112-degree car at a Cobb County park.
We turned to PETA to learn what you should do if you see dogs in hot cars.
PETA reports that even leaving a dog in a car for "just a minute" can result in fatal consequences. In just 15 minutes a dog can sustain serious brain damage or even die of a heat struck, according to PETA.org.
Here's what you should do if you see a dog in a hot car.
- Take down the car's color, model, make and license plate number.
- Call your local humane authorities or local authorities and try to page the owner.
- Have someone keep an eye on the dog. PETA suggests no one leaves the scene until the situation is resolved.
- If the dog seems to be in immeniant danger PETA suggests that you find witnesses who will back up your assessment of the animal and then take th enecessary steps to remove the suffering dog and place them in an air conditioned car and then take them to a veterinarian immediately.
- It's also okay to spray the dog with a garden hose or immerse it in a tub of cool, but not iced water, according to PETA.
- Wait for the authorities to arrive.
According to PETA.org, it's important to recognize the symptoms of heatstroke before you decide to take action: restlessness, excessive thirst, thick saliva, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite, dark tongue, rapid heartbeat, fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and lack of coordination.
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