Five dogs trapped inside a sweltering car in Newport Beach were moments away from a potentially fatal outcome before a police officer broke a window and pulled them to safety.
Body-camera video released Friday by the Newport Beach Police Department captured the May 18 rescue, underscoring how quickly temperatures inside a parked vehicle can turn dangerous for pets.
Police said the officer was called to a vehicle in the 2400 block of Holly Lane, where he discovered all five dogs locked inside.
According to the department, the car’s windows had been left only “slightly cracked open.”
Most of the dogs were confined in cages, and several were already showing signs of distress as the heat continued to build inside the vehicle.
The situation quickly left the officer with little choice but to intervene.
Determining the animals were in immediate danger, he shattered a window and removed the dogs from the car.
A veterinarian later evaluated the dogs and found their body temperatures had risen to levels that can be deadly for canines.
The good news: All five survived and have since fully recovered.
The bad news for their owner: Police issued a misdemeanor citation for multiple animal-welfare violations, and the case has been forwarded to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for review.
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Three of the rescued dogs remain at the Newport Beach Animal Shelter and are up for adoption.
The rescue comes as a strong high-pressure system cranks up the heat across Southern California, with a prolonged heat wave pushing temperatures well above average and into the triple digits in many inland and desert areas through the coming week.
A gradual break is expected around Aug. 29-30, when inland temperatures are forecast to dip back toward double digits.
But police say pet owners shouldn’t wait for the weather to feel scorching before taking precautions.
A car can become dangerously hot within minutes, even if the windows are cracked.
And even when the weather outside doesn’t seem extreme, the inside of a parked vehicle can quickly become a deadly trap.
“Pets can’t cool themselves the way humans do,” police said. “And leaving them inside a vehicle can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.”
California law can also make leaving an animal in a hot car a crime.
Penal Code Section 597.7 prohibits leaving an animal unattended in a vehicle when heat, cold or a lack of proper ventilation puts its health in danger.
A first offense without severe injury can mean a fine of up to $100 per animal. Subsequent offenses can bring fines of up to $500 per violation.
If an animal suffers great bodily injury or dies, the offense becomes a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in county jail.
