(Image via Facebook)
Pensacola police issued a firm warning to pet owners on Wednesday after rescuing a tiny puppy locked inside a car amid the sweltering Florida heat.
“Don’t. Just don’t,” the Pensacola Police Department wrote on Facebook. “If you leave your dog in a hot car and that dog is suffering, we will do whatever we have to do to free him. Or her. Doesn’t matter, we like both kinds of dogs.
“We will drive your pooch to the caring folks at the Escambia County Animal Shelter and we will drop you off with the caring folks at the Escambia County Detention Facility. You will both receive attention, food, and shelter, albeit different kinds. So, don’t.”
Dispatched to the local mall to look into reports of dogs locked in hot cars, Officer Anthony Giorgio discovered the puppy barking faintly, the passenger window just slightly open, reports WEAR-TV.
He had to bust the window in order to free the pup. His body cam captured the heartwrenching incident below.
Officer Giorgio and bystanders quickly gave the trembling puppy water to cool down.
Had the puppy died, the owner would have faced criminal charges.
The owner received a $150 fine for animal cruelty.
The Pensacola Police Department’s Facebook post was shared over 11,650 times in the past 24 hours.
Their post serves as a reminder to be conscientious of your pets – and your kids – safety and well-being in the summer heat.