Police rescued an English bulldog left in the front seat of an SUV in New Jersey Monday as temperatures climbed into the high 80s.
The windows were up when Robyn Urman, a hairstylist at the Purple Rain Salon in Tenafly, noticed the pup in the black Mercedes truck. Urman, a known animal rights advocate, waited about 10 minutes and then called police.
A police officer responded and jimmied the front driver's side door, then pulled the bulldog to safety.
"She was a little out of it, a little drunken," said Urman. "We took her out, poured water on her. She was a little stunned."
Authorities said the animal appeared to be otherwise OK.
The dog owner returned to her car about 12 minutes after the rescue, according to the Cliffview Pilot, which first reported the rescue.
"She came out with a bunch of bags from CVS and came to her car and started yelling at me, that she knows me and I'm the crazy dog lady," said Urman.
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The officer reminded the owner about animal cruelty laws and let her go with a warning.
Animal cruelty investigators at the scene on Washington Avenue Tuesday estimated the temperature inside the SUV was at least 125 degrees. Bulldogs like Fifi have a tough time staying cool, they said.
"With a bulldog, they have a short snout, it doesn't allow them to cool the air quickly, so they can overheat very quickly," said Roni Wildoner of Bergen SPCA.
The owner, who was not identified by police, could face a $500 fine if she is charged with animal cruelty. SPCA investigators said pet owners should leave their dogs at home in the air conditioning if it's too hot to leave their dogs in the car for any length of time.
