Animal Service units from South Salt Lake have been called to seven incidents of dogs left inside hot vehicles over the past two weeks.

South Salt Lake Animal Services director Dan Diener said the problem seems to only be getting worse.

"We're seeing people who hate to be separated from their animals," he said. "Then they go some place they can't take their dogs with them. The dogs are sitting in the car having nothing to drink."

On Thursday, a Chihuahua was found left alone in a car at the Department of Motor Vehicles Office. The dog had climbed under one of the seats in an attempt to find shade.

The temperature inside the car was an estimated 104 degrees.

"The dog was extremely distressed and overheated," Diener said.

The dog was impounded for its own safety and the owner was cited for animal cruelty, he said.

Last week a dog died in Salt Lake County after being left in a truck with the windows rolled up near 400 East and 4100 South.

"My concern is we're going to have something that happened like in the county," Diener said. "We're going to see a lot more of that if people don't start thinking about leaving their animals at home where they have shelter and water. The dog is going to appreciate it an awful lot more in the long run."

If pet owners absolutely have to take their animal with them, Diener said they had better make sure they're going to a place where the pet can go inside, too. Quick trips are never as quick as people think they're going to be, he added.

"What's supposed to be a 20-minute trip to the grocery store takes a good deal more than that," he said.

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