Dog rescued from hot car — in November! — in Dedham

In New England, the weather can be fickle — and climate change certainly isn’t helping. Still, no matter the time of year, dog owners should think twice before leaving their poor pooch alone in a vehicle for any amount of time — never mind a few hours.

On Monday, Dedham police shared a post on Facebook, revealing that a store employee at Legacy Place had called the mall security team to report that a small white dog had allegedly been locked in a hot car for approximately three hours.

Authorities were able to rescue the dog from the vehicle “before tragedy could strike,” Dedham police noted.

Additionally, “the owner was cited for the violation – and firmly briefed on the laws, ramifications, and potential additional charges,” Dedham police said. “The dog was referred to veterinary care.”

The department emphasized that this incident should be a reminder that “the inside of a motor vehicle can heat up 10-15 degrees warmer than the outside temperature — even in the shade — in a matter of minutes.”

“It’s November — who would have thought we’d still be responding to dogs locked in hot vehicles?” the department said.

Recent days have been unseasonably warm for this time of year and soon, temperatures will take another drastic turn — just in the other direction.

“And as warm weather turns to winter, it bears advising that the same law applies to leaving pets inside COLD motor vehicles, where exposure to the extreme weather can reasonably be expected to threaten the health of an animal,” Dedham police said.

The department also noted that the public should call the authorities if they see or hear anything that may be concerning.

“Much like in this incident, our community’s eyes and ears are key! If you should see anything that you feel poses a threat, danger, risk, to public safety — animal or human — please don’t hesitate to contact the Dedham Police Department,” police noted.

“A shout out to the Legacy Place Security team and the store employees — who uninterruptedly maintained vigilance and compassion for this little dog,” the department added. “Your actions may have saved his life!”

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