Watch: Dog rescued from hot trailer by Wheat Ridge police

DENVER ( KDVR ) — A dog was found locked inside a trailer in Wheat Ridge Saturday, and police came to the rescue.

The Wheat Ridge Police Department got a tip about a trailer that was parked in a neighborhood for three days. Officers checked it out and found a pitbull mix inside the trailer.

The police department said officers could not see whether the dog had access to water.

“We used an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of various surfaces inside the trailer, varying between 88 to 98 degrees,” the police department said in a post on X.

The dog measured at 100 degrees, police said.

Studies show that temperatures inside a car rise quickly and can become deadly for a dog in less than 20 minutes. If it is 85 degrees outside, the National Weather Service reports that the inside of the car will be 104 degrees after 10 minutes and 119 degrees after 20 minutes. Cracking open the windows makes little to no difference.

The Humane Society says body temperatures of 104 degrees and hotter is a sign that a dog is suffering from a heat-related illness .

The police officers got into the trailer to rescue the dog using a crowbar to pry open the door.

“We’re here to help you, we don’t want you to die,” one officer said during the process. “I don’t know where your owner is but I’m mad at them.”

The police department said the dog was scared, but with careful coordination, officers were able to get him in a kennel and took him to the Foothills Animal Shelter.

“We’re sure you wouldn’t want to be stuck in a trailer with 100-degree heat. Don’t do that to your pets,” WRPD said.

Police issued a notice of violation for rabies control, cruelty or inhumane treatment and a notice of impoundment to the owner, and an investigation is ongoing.

There have been dozens of reports of dogs being left in hot cars already this summer.

Last year, Denver Animal Protection received 450 calls, and so far this year inspectors have already responded to 130 calls.

Keep animals safe from heat

Signs of a dog suffering from a heat-related illness include heavy panting, excessive drooling, glazed eyes, rapid pulse, unsteadiness, bloody nose, diarrhea, vomiting, dry, deep red or purple tongue, hemorrhages in gums or under the skin and body temperatures over 104 degrees, according to the Humane Society .

The Humane Society recommends seeking veterinary care as soon as possible, even if the dog appears to be improving. In the meantime, you can provide care with these steps from the Humane Society:

• Move the dog to a cool area
• Apply cool, not cold, water or soak in a cool bath
• Place cool, wet towels over the back of the neck, armpits, paws, ear flaps, groin area
• Direct a fan on wet areas to speed evaporative cooling
• Offer fresh, cool water if the dog is alert and wants to drink, but do not force it

What to do if you see a child or animal stuck in a hot car

A bill was passed in Colorado in 2017 that protects people who render emergency assistance to an at-risk person or animal locked in a hot car.

The bill provides immunity from civil and criminal liability, but the person must check all the following steps listed in the bill:

• Ensure the vehicle is not a law enforcement vehicle
• Reasonable belief that the person or animal is in imminent danger of death or suffering serious bodily injury
• Verify the vehicle is locked
• Make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or operator of the vehicle
• Contact a law enforcement or other first responder agency before forcibly entering the vehicle and do not interfere with the actions of any such responding law enforcement agency
• Use no more force than reasonably necessary to enter the locked vehicle
• Remain with the at-risk person or animal in a safe location close to the vehicle until law enforcement or other first responder arrives at the scene; except if the person rendering assistance has to leave the scene before the owner or operator of the vehicle returns, prior to leaving the scene, the person rendering assistance must leave a notice on the vehicle with his or her name and contact information and the name and location, if any, of the facility to which he or she took the at-risk person or animal. Also prior to leaving the scene, the person rendering assistance shall contact law enforcement, animal control or other first responder to provide them with the same information.

The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment says if you see a dog in a hot car, you should call 311 or Denver Animal Protection at 720-913-2080.

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