The SPCA has custody of the dog. On Sunday afternoon, Hagerstown City Police found a chow chow inside a car in the Valley Plaza Shopping Center. The owner, a Greencastle, Pa., resident, shopped for about 40 minutes before she returned to the car, Capt. Robert Hart said. Criminal charges are pending in both cases.
Police have the authority to break into vehicles to free trapped pets.
Even if it's just 10 minutes, the animals can suffer. The temperature in a parked vehicle can rise quickly. Dogs and cats do not sweat and their average body temperature is 101 degrees, according to Haden. They need access to water to maintain their temperatures, she said. Pets left outside also can have problems when water and shade aren't available and the sun is brutal.