I had a very disturbing dog in a hot car experience at an Ahwatukee Walgreens recently. A tiny Chihuahua (had to be less than 10 pounds) was locked in a truck with rolled up windows, parked in the sun, no air conditioning running. The dog’s owner came out after I had an announcement made in the store and she threatened to call the police on me for harassing her. When I got home, I called The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and was given the non-emergency police department number to call for dogs in hot cars. Please tell readers to keep it in their cell phone: (602) 262-6151.
According to ASPCA it is appropriate to call this number FIRST, don’t mess with making an announcement in the store. A dog could die within 10 minutes. We have to be an advocate for dogs left in hot cars no matter how uncomfortable it is. Had I called the police department, this woman would have been given a ticket for animal cruelty, at the very least.
I am a resident of Ahwatukee, a dog-owner, and a member of the ASPCA. I hope we can educate ignorant dog-owners about the dangers of hot cars.
Nancy Schneider
