COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County police rescued a dog from a dangerously hot car outside Town Center Mall after temperatures inside the vehicle climbed to 148 degrees, according to investigators.
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The rescue happened Monday afternoon after a concerned shopper called 911 to report a dog locked inside a blue Hyundai Elantra in the mall parking lot.
“There is a blue Hyundai Elantra toward the back of the parking lot with a dog in the back seat and the windows are almost all the way up,” the caller told dispatchers.
The caller said the dog appeared to be in distress.
“The windows are cracked but just barely. He is hot. It is 96 degrees outside right now. He is panting heavily,” the caller said.
According to Cobb County police, the dog had been inside the vehicle for approximately 30 minutes. Officers determined temperatures inside the car had reached as high as 148 degrees.
Police broke a window to rescue the dog, who investigators said was hyperventilating when officers removed him from the vehicle.
Authorities arrested and charged Miles Dickey in connection with the incident.
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The case serves as a reminder of how quickly temperatures inside vehicles can become life-threatening for pets, even when windows are partially open.
Cobb County Animal Services Director Steve Hammond demonstrated how animal control officers and police use infrared temperature guns to measure heat levels inside vehicles.
During a demonstration, temperatures on a vehicle’s dashboard reached 161 degrees. Other areas inside the vehicle measured between 100 and 113 degrees.
Animal services officials also warned pet owners about the dangers of hot pavement.
“The (temperature) on the asphalt right now is 132 degrees,” Hammond said. “Use the backside of your hand because that’s where the skin is the thinnest and just put it on the asphalt. If you can leave it there, then it’s safe enough for your dog.”
While Cobb County Animal Services is not involved in the Town Center Mall investigation, the agency said it received another call about a dog left inside a hot car the same day. Officials said the driver left before officers arrived.
Animal Services has investigated nine hot-car incidents involving animals so far this year.
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