Police issue warning after dog dies in parked car

GRANDVILLE, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Police in Grandville hope that others will learn from a weekend tragedy.

A dog died after the owner left it to bake in a hot car at the Rivertown Crossings Mall.

The weather Sunday at Rivertown Crossings was about 78 degrees and sunny. Grandville Police estimate that inside a parked car, after several hours, the temperature was at least 20 degrees warmer.

Grandville Police say Lucky the chihuahua was locked inside a vehicle when his attempted rescue began with a call to 911.

"It was a passerby, someone who had actually parked next to the car," said Det. Sgt. Renee Veldman.

Police were the first to respond to Rivertown Crossings just before 5:00 Sunday evening. They found Lucky trapped inside a dark-colored car that was like a sauna.

"Once the owner was located, eventually it was found that the owner had been shopping," said Det. Sgt. Veldman.

By the time the vehicle's owner had been located, firefighters had arrived on the scene, unlocked the car and were trying to revive the dog.

"Some oxygen was given to the dog, we attempted to give the dog some water," said Det. Sgt. Veldman.

Police say that Lucky died on the scene, and that not even keeping the windows open about an inch could save him.

"A lot of people think just by having the windows cracked open, that will be sufficient in providing adequate amount of ventilation," said Dr. Marc Leven of the Animal Medical Center of Wyoming.

Dr. Leven says that dogs with pudgy noses or long fur are more at-risk for heat stroke, but more importantly, that dogs do not handle heat like humans do.

"Dogs do not perspire, what they do is get rid of most of their heat through ventilation," said Dr. Leven.

A car parked in the sun will not ventilate well.

"It may not take this dog more than, you know, a couple of minutes," said Dr. Leven.

Grandville Police say that on Sunday, Lucky may have sat in the parked car for three and a half hours before firefighters got to him.

"The interior temperature is what led to the tragic death of this dog," said Det. Sgt. Veldman.

Grandville Police will send their investigation on to the county prosecutor. Lucky's owner could face an abandonment or cruelty charge. That would be a one-year misdemeanor.

Experts say that even mild summer days can be deadly for dogs if they are left in a car, so just don't do it.

The temperature inside a car can surge to 120 degrees, even when it is parked in the shade or with the windows cracked. In those conditions, animals can experience heatstroke in just 15 minutes.