Medford, Ore — Twice this week Medford police have responded to calls about pets being left in hot cars and it can be a deadly combination luckily both of those dogs survived but their owners go charged with misdemeanors.
It’s something that sometimes slips pet owner’s minds, but a hot car can spell death for their furry friends.
“I’d leave the windows down, but even so, on a hot day like this when its’ going to be 100 degrees, I would leave the dog at home,” said Ray Sembric.
Ann Leroy says she would never leave her 6-year-old Pomeranian “Evie” in a car and made plans to keep Evie cool while she shopped at Costco Thursday.
“I made an arrangement for my husband to meet me up front and he’ll wait with the dog outside and I can do my shopping real quick,” said Leroy.
Other owners choose to leave their pets behind. Even in the shade, parking lots can be dangerous for pets. NBC5 talked to one owner who left his dog in the car while he shopped.
The dog’s owner says he was only gone for a few minutes.
Police told NBC5 they gave two misdemeanors to pet owners in the same Costco parking lot who left their pets in hot cars in just the last two days.
“In both those cases, recent cases at Costco, the owners were cited with animal neglect. That’s a misdemeanor crime, it’s a criminal offense for which someone could be arrested,” said Sgt. Brent Mak.
That risk And a lot of love for her dog is why Leroy is taking Evie with her.
“It’s too hot for us to sit in a car, why would you leave a dog. Even with the window down” said Leroy.
Medford P.D. say their K-9 unit vehicles have a special built-in alarm system that notifies the officer if the vehicle gets too hot for the dog inside.
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