SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- Sioux Falls Police remind motorists who also own pets to not leave their furry friends in a hot vehicle.
Officer Sam Clemens says even before the weather turned warm this week, animal control was contacted 45 times in the last month and a half about unattended animals in vehicles.
From April 1 to May 25, 25 times the vehicle with the pet was gone. Nineteen times animal control checked on the vehicle or talked to the owner. The agency gave out one citation.
Below is the City's news release on the issue with some tips on what you should and should not do with your pet.
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Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Please remember to be cautious with pets as the weather gets warmer. As temperatures heat up outside, the heat can create a deadly situation for your pet inside a parked vehicle.
The interior of a car heats up 40 degrees in an hour, even when the windows are cracked and the outside temperature is 70 degrees. That means on a 70 degree day, your car can feel like 110 degrees inside it. Most of the increase in temperature happens within the first 30 minutes the car is parked. A change of only a few degrees in your pet’s body temperature can lead to brain damage or death, so leaving your pet in a parked car for only a few minutes can be dangerous.
“The safest choice is to leave your pet at home,” said Animal Control Supervisor Julie DeJong. “Leaving your pet in a hot car could also result in animal cruelty charges or citations.”
If you are concerned about an animal in a vehicle on a warm day, call Animal Control right away at 911 or 367-7000. Tell the dispatcher the license plate number and a description of the vehicle. This will speed up the process of finding the owner. You can monitor the situation, but police do not recommend breaking any window to retrieve a pet, as that action could result in vandalism or other charges.
Animal Control views these situations as a high priority, and they will respond as quickly as they can.