Tonka Truck the pit bull puppy lunges at the end of his leash, wagging and bouncing and jumping, trying to fit everything possible into his mouth.
He’s a different animal than the one firefighters rescued from a black SUV where the temperature had climbed to at least 123 degrees.
“The dog was hiding on the driver’s seat under the steering wheel – the only part that had shade,” said Officer Enrique Rivera, with the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society.
Firefighters gave the puppy water by threading an IV line through the open window. Finally, after the owner could not be located, they broke the window and took the puppy to the fire station, where they poured cold water over his body and hydrated him.
That June 1 rescue was the start of a summer that has seen “excessive” number of animals being left in hot cars, according to Dee Thompson, director of PAWS.
Wednesday, there were six calls for animals locked in vehicles in a two-hour period
Over the last two weeks, officers have responded to 20 such calls.
The dogs were found in cars parked everywhere from the beach, to restaurants and stores. One dog was even found in a car left in the parking lot of a local hospital.
It is against the law to confine an animal in a vehicle or enclosure that could cause them harm, according to state statute.
“Usually we get one every two or three days,” Thompson said. “People say, ‘My dog loves riding in the car,’ but he doesn’t love sitting there while you’re not there.
“If you’re going to run to the store, leave him home,” she said. “He’ll be much happier lying on the couch.”
Last summer, two Boston terriers died after their owner left them in the car to shop at the Santa Rosa Mall.
After being tracked down by law enforcement, Tonka Truck’s owner surrendered him to PAWS in early July.
Now they are looking for a pit bull rescue to take in the high-spirited young dog. He struggles with life in the kennel, but seems to have no ill effects from overheating, workers say.
“He’s a bad dog,” says kennel technician Tazz Felde, smiling. “A bad dog.”
Assignment Editor Wendy Victora can be reached at 315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com
