Dog rescued by New Smyrna Beach officers from a scorching U-Haul while owners hit the beach
By: Police rescued a dog after it was left in a U-Haul on a hot summer's day in New Smyrna Beach.
The New Smyrna Beach Police Department said a dog was locked inside a U-Haul truck while the dog's owners went to the beach.
Body cam video taken at around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday from one of the officers shows the windows were slightly cracked open when the dog was found. Officers noticed no water was with the dog, and tried pouring a bottle of water into the truck through the gap.
The dog can be heard panting heavily while officers try to assess the situation.
"Aw, this thing's so thirsty," an officer said while giving the dog water.
"Aw, do you want a Slim Jim? " The other officer asked the dehydrated dog.
Concerned witnesses who reported the incident said the dog had been left in the car for nearly an hour. Police said the temperature outside at the time was 86 degrees with no cloud cover, meaning the temperature inside the U-Haul was close to 100 degrees or more.
Police said the dog was safely removed from the U-Haul and taken to the Southeast Volusia Humane Society.
Charging affidavits were sent to the State Attorney's Office for both owners of the dog, according to police.
"Never leave an animal or a child alone inside a vehicle, even for a short period. It could be deadly. Thank you to the vigilant person who noticed the dog in the car and reported it so we could help," the police department said.