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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Salt Lake City man could face animal cruelty charges after authorities say his dog died after being left in a hot car for hours as temperatures climbed into the high 80s and above over the weekend, highlighting what officials call a too-common problem in the summertime.
The man left the 15-month-old yellow lab inside his Jeep when he went to work in Salt Lake City's Sugar House neighborhood on Saturday, said Callista Pearson, a spokeswoman for county animal services.
The owner could face a felony animal cruelty charge, Pearson said. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said his office plans to review the case. The man's name was not immediately released because he hasn't been arrested.
Authorities believe the dog had been in the car for at least four hours when someone saw her and called animal control that afternoon.
The officer on scene said it was 86 degrees outside and more than 120 degrees inside the car, Pearson said on Monday.
The National Weather Service clocked a high of 91 degrees at the Salt Lake City International Airport Saturday, an above-average reading that made it the hottest day of the year until that point.
In 90 degree heat, even with a window cracked, a dog can die inside a car in less than six minutes, Pearson said.
When officers arrived, they found the windows closed and the dog unresponsive, Pearson said. Animal Control officers typically wait for police to arrive before forcing open cars, but the officer decided the situation was dire and cut a hole in the soft-top Jeep to get the animal out.
The dog was pronounced dead at the Utah Veterinary Clinic.
It wasn't the only call about a pet in a hot car that animal control got that day, Pearson said. There were four or five similar reports before noon on Saturday. The agency received more than 600 calls about dogs trapped in hot cars last year and two or three animals died, she said.
"I would suggest leaving your dogs at home where it's cool and they can relax in your home instead of leaving them in them in the car where it can be life or death," Pearson said.
Anytime the mercury rises over 70 degrees, it can make a car fatally hot within 20 minutes, she said.
If people spot an animal that appears to be in distress, they can call animal services or walk into a nearby business with a license plate number and ask for an emergency announcement.
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