It’s summer, and with temperatures rising to record levels in many areas, it’s more important than ever to look after our dogs, who are susceptible to heat stroke.
Every year there are far too many animal deaths caused by owners leaving their pets to suffer in hot, locked cars. According to PETA, there have been 30 hot car deaths in 2021 alone.
Thankfully, in many cases people intervene before it is too late. Like one dog, who was left inside a car while her owner was at Disney World.
According to WPLG reporter Parker Branton, the Maltese puppy was found on Monday in the parking lot of the Hollywood Studios park, part of Orlando’s Walt Disney World.
According to Branton, a park visitor named Jerry Dana French found the dog around 5:00 pm, and was shocked to discovered that the dog had apparently been there for hours — all while her owners were off enjoying the park.
“She looked right up into my eyes and said ‘help,'” French wrote. “Looking around I saw an empty bowl and a parking receipt for 11:48 am!”
Leaving a dog alone in a car for any amount of time is dangerous and puts them at risk of heat stroke. But anyone who has visited Disney World in the summertime knows that it can become unbearably hot.
According to Accuweather, the temperature reached 92 degrees in Orlando on Monday. Needless to say that this car was far from the “happiest place on earth” for this poor pup.
We can’t imagine how hot it must’ve been inside the vehicle, and it’s miraculous that the Maltese survived so long. When officers arrived on the scene, they estimated that the dog would’ve only had an hour left to live.
“I started to cry at this point and securitytried to get me to leave but I just couldn’t. I parked my car nearby to watch,” French said, according to Branton.
But thankfully, the puppy was okay. First responders from the Orange County Sheriffs Office, as well as Disney’s parking team, helped the dog and gave her water.
According to a statement from the Orange County Sheriffs Office obtained by People, the dog was returned to the owner, who was inside the park, with no charges filed.
It’s not clear why no charges were filed. According to Legal Beagle, laws in Orange County state that a person can be charged with animal neglect for leaving a pet in a car without ventilation.
But the good news is the dog avoided dying in the hot car. French wrote that while people like this “piss [her] off,” the first responders who helped the dog “make [her] have hope.”
“Thank you rescuers!”
It’s hard to believe that anyone would leave their dog in a hot car, but we’re so glad this dog is safe. Thank you to everyone who saved her.
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