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SALT LAKE CITY -- Salt Lake County Animals Services officers are warning residents not to leave animals inside hot vehicles this summer.
Officers warn that if they see a distressed animal inside a hot car, they will break the vehicle's window. The owner may face an animal cruelty charge, a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.
Officers say it doesn't matter if the animal is left for only a few minutes. It also doesn't matter if the vehicle windows are cracked open, or if a water bowl is inside the car. They say with summer temperatures, it can take as few as five minutes for pets to overheat.
Animal services says more people leave pets in cars the hotter it gets. The Salt Lake Tribune reports dogs are the most common animal left in cars.
