Walnut Creek police say dog rescued after 2 hours in hot car

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- Walnut Creek police are crediting an astute citizen for saving the life of a dog that was locked in a hot car for two hours on Tuesday.

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In a Facebook post, police say an officer responded to the parking log of a Burger King on N. Main Street around 5 p.m. Tuesday over a report of a dog left in a vehicle.

According to police, it was 97 degrees outside when the officer found the dog in distress inside the car with the windows rolled up.

The officer was able to remove the dog from the car, and it spent a few hours at the police department drinking water and "receiving lots of pets, cuddles, and snuggles from the Department."

In their Facebook post, police say Animal Control responded and took custody of the dog, who was later determined to have been inside the car for more than two hours.

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The dog's owner was identified and the investigation is continuing with Animal Control and the District Attorney's Office.

Police say, "We are grateful for the astute citizen who didn't hesitate to contact us upon seeing the distressed dog in the vehicle and Officer Gerstner's immediate action to rescue the dog. Without them, this story could have had a much different ending. We hope sharing this story can help common sense prevail - DON'T LEAVE YOUR LOVED ONES IN A VEHICLE ON A WARM DAY. Children and pets alike."

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