ROSWELL, Ga. — Amid the recent heat wave, Roswell police have been cracking down on drivers leaving dogs in hot cars.
Many owners believe they won't be out of the car for long and choose to leave windows cracked, but a veterinarian told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik dogs can quickly overheat.
Donna Grammas told Petchenik she's left her Great Dane in her car before, but she said always with the windows down.
"I'm in and out in about five minutes," Grammas said.
Eric Johns said he'd never leave his Greyhound car-bound in the heat.
"If it's cool in the fall, I don't see anything wrong with leaving them in the car," Johns told Petchenik.
This week, Roswell police have cited several dog owners with animal cruelty for leaving dogs in hot cars. One case took place during the hottest day ever recorded in Georgia.
An officer ticketed a woman accused of leaving her dog in the car at a gas station with a heat index hovering near 107 degrees.
"It doesn't take any time at all, 30 seconds for them to overheat in a car," said veterinarian Andy Morton with Roswell's Chattahoochee Animal Hospital.
He strongly discourages anyone from leaving their pets in the car, even with the air conditioning on.
"Even with air conditioner in the car, in some cars, when they idle, the air conditioner cuts off," Morton said. "They do not sweat, so they can't evaporate that way, so they can't cool off that way."
Grammas compared leaving the dog in the car to speeding.
"You're going to get a ticket if you get caught," she said.
Petchenik spoke to one of the women cited by Roswell police. She said she was running into Walmart for a few things and didn't realize her dog could be in danger.
Animal cruelty is a misdemeanor that carries an up to $1,000 penalty and one year of jail time.
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