The weather is warming up in the Coachella Valley, perfect time to remind people to leave their pets home.

 

Leaving a pet in a car for just a few minutes in triple digit heat can be deadly.

 

An 8 year old Pomeranian had a temperature of 104.9 degrees when the dog was rescued from a hot SUV at the The Shops at Palm Desert on Highway 111, the old Westfield Mall.

 

The owner of the dog left the pooch in the car on Wednesday afternoon June 1st 2022, when the outdoor temperature reached 102 degrees in Palm Desert.

 

A bystander smashed a window of the vehicle to rescue the dog, as an animal control officer and sheriffs deputy rushed the dog to the Animal Emergency Hospital in Indio.

 

The dog had been in the car for 45 minutes, and suffered heat stroke. The dog did survive.

 

The owner was arrested and faces misdemeanor charges.

 

The dog is now back with that owner.

 

Under California law, it is legal to break into a vehicle to rescue an animal.  There are no criminal penalties. Keep in mind, if you come face to face with the angry owner of that vehicle, that could be an unpleasant confrontation.

 

 

Rescued Dog in Palm Desert CA June 1st 2022

Photo from Riverside County Animal Services Dept.