Hot car dangers: Chandler police warn about leaving pets and children in vehicles

CHANDLER, AZ — It doesn’t take long for the inside of a car to heat up, especially this time of year.

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After a recent rescue, Chandler police are sounding the alarm about the dangers of leaving a pet, a child, or anyone in a hot car.

Chandler police say a 1-year-old pit bull was left in a car outside Chandler Fashion Center with the windows cracked, the car off, and a bowl of water — for about 30 minutes.

“The sergeant on scene measured the temperature inside the car and it was 132 degrees inside the car. It was 105 that day,” said Officer Marysol Green, public information officer with the Chandler Police Department.

Good Samaritans notified mall security, and police were able to safely rescue the dog. As for the owner:

“He was extremely apologetic and remorseful, ultimately he was arrested and booked for animal cruelty,” Officer Green said.

The Arizona Animal Welfare League reminds owners that pets would rather stay home or be brought inside.

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“A lot of people don’t necessarily have bad intentions; they think just even five minutes running in will be ok, but it’s really not. It can take just minutes for those temperatures to be deadly,” said Kimberly Root, senior manager of marketing and communication for the Arizona Animal Welfare League.

The league also says to watch for warning signs of overheating.

“If they are panting, um their gums are kind of pulled back, they seem unsteady, they are probably overheated, and they might be at risk for heat stroke,” Root said.

Chandler police say if you see a dog or a child left in a car, call 911 immediately. If they appear to be in distress, you can take action before police arrive.

“You can break a window, you can force entry into the vehicle to get the child or the animal out,” Officer Green said.

To prevent all of this, Chandler police say it simply: don’t leave anything that breathes in a hot car.

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