BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Boynton Beach Police were forced to break a car window to rescue a dog that had been left inside with the windows up under the hot Florida sun.
Body cam video captured Monday's rescue which came after a Good Samaritan called police about the pit bull left inside the car in the parking lot near a Bank of America.
Temperatures were in the high 90's under a clear sky when the call was made. Police estimate the temperature in the car was at least 110 degrees, if not more.
After going store-to-store to locate the owner and coming up empty-handed, police made the decision to break into the vehicle and rescue the dog.
Police say the dog's owner returned to the car 10-15 minutes after they received the 911 call.
The owner claimed she had just left the dog park and drove to the bank. When the drive-thru was closed, she left her pet inside the car to enter the bank lobby.
After being educated about the law, the owner was given a citation for leaving her dog unattended in the vehicle and the dog was returned.
In a post to Facebook, the police department left a short and simple message to pet owners: "Our advice, stop being lazy (harsh, yes, but true). Bring your pet home and then go back out to run whatever errands you need to do."