Dogs rescued from locked 107 degree SUV in Clovis, owner cited

CLOVIS, Calif. (FOX26) — Two dogs are now out of harm's way after they were rescued from a hot SUV in Clovis.

According to the Clovis Police Department, officers were called Wednesday around 1 p.m. regarding two dogs that were spotted inside a locked, and sealed, SUV in a Walmart parking lot.

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"We would like to thank the concerned citizen that called us and saw this while they were walking through the parking lot. It could have been a matter of saving those dogs lives had they been left out there too long in the heat. It doesn't take very long for a dog to get severely injured from this," said Lieutenant Jim Koch, with the Clovis Police Department.

When officers arrived, they asked store employees to get the owner’s attention over the store’s PA system.

Moments later, the owner, who was not identified, came out of the store and unlocked her SUV for Clovis Police.

That’s when officers say both dogs were panting profusely and one of the animals was seen resting on the floorboard while another barked.

Animal Control investigators say it was 107 degrees inside the locked and sealed SUV.

Both animals were then given water, placed in air conditioning following the incident, and returned to the owner.

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Clovis Police says the owner of the two dogs was issued a misdemeanor citation and could face up to a year in jail along with a $1,000 fine.

It says there are a lot of factors that come into play before deciding whether to return the animals to the owners.

According to American Veterinary Medical Association says cracking the windows make no difference.

It says the temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees in just 20 minutes and almost 30 degrees in 20 minutes.

Meaning, if it's 80 degrees outside, it could be as high as 110 degrees inside a parked car without a/c.