MARYSVILLE — Police officers busted a window to save a little dog left in a sweltering van Tuesday.
Sgt. Pete Shove said officers were called to the Walmart at 8713 64th St. N.E. to check on a dog. One officer stayed and observed the pet while another retrieved a heat monitor from the police station.
Tuesday’s high in Marysville was 87 degrees. Inside the van on yet another hazy day, it reportedly reached 103 degrees when officers took action to save the dog.
Police had the van’s driver paged several times in the Walmart, but no one came forward.
“Now the dog was definitely becoming distressed,” Shove said.
Once the dog seemed to be in trouble, after about 90 minutes, they broke in using a window punch tool.
Marysville police smashed through a car window to retrieve a dog that was left inside, where the temperature hit 103 degrees, Tuesday afternoon. (Marysville Police Department)
With the dog out, Shove said, officers took it to the precinct to cool off and drink water. He said the dog, whose name he did not know, could not have weighed more than 15 pounds.
Washington made it lawful for police to enter a vehicle to save an animal in 2015. Since then, it has not been common in Marysville, Shove said, though they get plenty of calls for pets in hot cars. Most of the time, it either does not warrant police action, the driver or owner is found, or they can unlock the door through a cracked window.
Someone whose animal is left in a vehicle and needs to be freed by law enforcement can be subject to a $125 fine. They may also face charges for animal cruelty.
In this case, the fine was issued. The dog’s owner later called police to retrieve his pet and told them he was not with the dog at the time. He also told them who was.
Shove said he was going to meet with the animal control officer to consider charges.
The American Veterinary Medical Association advises pet owners to avoid taking them in a car unless it’s necessary. Temperatures rise quickly inside, with one study showing that after an hour sitting in 70-degree weather, the interior can hit 113 degrees. That kind of heat can cause heat stress and even death.
“And cracking the windows makes no difference,” the association’s website warns.
“Humans don’t deserve dogs,” Shove said.
Ben Watanabe: bwatanabe@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3037. Twitter: @benwatanabe.
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