Puppy Rescued from a Hot Locked Car

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With warmer temperatures coming, Los Angeles County animal control officers are warning of the dangers of leaving pets in parked cars in the heat.

Animal control officers say they rescued a young Chihuahua mix from a locked sport utility vehicle over the weekend.

Officers summoned around 11 a.m. Saturday to the 600 block of Ashcomb Drive in La Puente found the female pup panting inside the vehicle, which was parked in the sun with its windows rolled up, said Evelina Villa, spokesperson Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (LADACC).

The outside temperature was 75 degrees, but inside the vehicle it was closer to 100 when the pup was rescued, said Director of LADACC, Marcia Mayeda.

The dog, which rescuers named ``Mimi,'' was suffering from dehydration when she was taken to an emergency clinic. She is now being housed at the , according to department  

Temperatures inside a car with its windows rolled up can quickly become 15-20 degrees hotter than it is outside, said Maceda.

"It can easily and very quickly turn dangerous for a pet locked inside a vehicle,'' she warned.

The owner has not come forward but could face criminal charges when an investigation into the case is complete, according to a department statement.

Conversely, wet and cold weather can come on quickly during spring months, and officials were reminding pet owners not to leave dogs tied outside in inclement conditions, which is a violation of state law.

- City News Service