KILGORE, Texas — As summertime turns up the heat in East Texas, Kilgore Police Department are warning pet owners about the danger of leaving your furry friend in the car.
"My dogs are like my babies, so if I can’t handle it, they’re not going to be able to handle it, so you need to treat them like they’re your children," Tyler resident Hayley Carter said.
Carter said she doesn't take her dogs on every car ride.
"As far as running errands, they just stay at home. I don’t like them staying in the car, its too hot," Carter said.
For a store run, even for a few minutes, it can be fatal.
"I would not take that chance," Carter said.
Last week, a shopper left their dog inside a car in the parking lot of the Kilgore Walmart. It was 96 degrees outside and the dog was showing early signs of distress.
"Luckily for this call, specifically the windows were cracked down low enough to where we could reach out low enough inside the vehicle to help get the dog out," Kilgore Police Officer Shawn Isbell said.
In Kilgore and several other East Texas cities, leaving an animal in a hot car is illegal.
"Either a citation or arrest if it has to go that far," Isbell said.
Kilgore Police Department also said if the temperature outside is between 90 and 100 degrees, temperatures inside a car could reach between 140 and 150 degrees, in less than an hour. Your best bet? Leave the dogs at home when running errands.
"Anything but leaving your dog inside of a hot car is probably the best option," Isbell said.