Dog left in hot pickup dies

A dog died after being left inside a truck with the windows rolled up Monday afternoon, prompting Salt Lake County Animal Services to issue what has become a yearly reminder about not leaving pets inside vehicles during the summer months.

Animal Services received a call from a woman at 12:21 p.m. that a dog inside a pickup with the windows rolled up didn't appear to be doing well, said Animal Services spokeswoman Temma Martin.

An animal control officer arrived at the truck near 400 East and 4100 South just three minutes later.

"The dog was in very poor shape by the time he got there," she said.

It was unknown Monday how long the dog was in the car before it was discovered. The officer found the doors to the vehicle were actually unlocked.

"The dog was lying on its side and panting heavily," Martin said. "The officer poured water all over the dog, but it didn't help."

The 1-year-old female, either a pit bull or boxer mix, was taken to a veterinary clinic, where it later died. The temperature of the dog when it arrived at the clinic was 107 degrees, Martin said. She guessed the temperature of the closed truck was near 130 degrees.

When the animal control officer returned from taking the dog to the vet, the pickup truck was gone.

Investigators do not believe the man lived at the apartment complex where the truck and dog were found. As of Monday evening, the dog's owner had not made contact with authorities to inquire about his dog.

During the summer, Martin said her office responds to five or six calls a day concerning pets locked in vehicles, though in most cases they turn out to be OK.

Last year, a Labrador mixed died of heat stroke after its owner went to lunch and forgot about his dog in the car. That was the only reported death of an animal left in a car in Salt Lake County in 2005.

Based on Monday's incident, Martin said she planned to issue safety reminders to the public in both English and Spanish.

"We do want to do more to start reaching to that community," she said. "They are pet owners. They could benefit from messages on how to find a lost pet, how to take care of a pet and other reminders."

In whatever language the message is delivered, Martin said it is always the same.

"There's really no appropriate time to leave a pet in a car in the summer," she said. "Any errand can take too long. You put your pet's life in risk."

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