2 Dogs Left In Hot Cars: Police Rescue Dog In Hot Car, But Find A Second One In Same Parking Lot

Two dogs were left inside hot cars at a parking lot in Roswell, Georgia on Tuesday.

Roswell Police officers responded to a 911 call about a dog seen in a hot car, then found a second one needing to be rescued at the same scene, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Fortunately, both animals are fine, but both owners are beng charged with cruelty to animals.

“While the dog’s owner was shopping inside the cool, air-conditioned store, her animal was suffering inside the sweltering hot vehicle,” Roswell police wrote on the department’s Facebook page. “It’s 97 degrees outside! Although the front windows were cracked, officers show that the temperature inside the car was 150 degrees.”

Roswell officers called on firefighters to the parking lot at Home Depot located on Holcomb Bridge Road to help them free the dog out of the car. Responders used a hose to cool off the dog and gave him water to drink, police say. The elderly dog was sitting in the back seat panting even though the front car window was down. A video was posted on the department’s Facebook page as well.

After rescuing the first of two dogs left in a hot car, officers noticed the other one. Police charged the dogs’ owners — Elaine M. Freeman, 77, and Elizabeth R. Spence, 48 — with misdemeanor cruelty to animals. Freeman was “allowed to leave the scene with a copy of the citation, but Spence was booked into jail,” according to the report. Spence left her chocolate Lab inside the car while temperatures soared in the mid-90s.

As 11 Alive reports, Officer Bill Lowe used his cell phone to video record fellow officer, Michael Shrout, checking the temperature in the hot car — which revealed that is was 150-degrees inside!

“We arrived out there to the scene and saw the dog appeared to be in distress, panting heavily in the back seat,” said officer, Lisa Holland.

Holland also said of the two dogs left in hot cars that the owners made it seem as though they weren’t inside the store that long.

“They immediately say we only were inside for just a minute, we had to run inside and get something.”

“Please help us spread the word to NEVER leave pets inside of a hot car, and know that we will always respond to help these animals when you call 9-1-1!” Roswell police posted on their Facebook page.

[Photo Credit: Roswell Police Dept. Facebook Page screenshot]