Almost daily, Deann Shepherd has to locate someone who left his or her pet locked in a hot car in the parking lot where she works.
“People come in to look at animals, but they leave their pet in the car,” she said. “We’re constantly calling people to return to their car and get their pet out.”
Pet owners are putting their dogs, and sometimes cats, in jeopardy across Utah. The BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital in Midvale sees three to five cases of life-threatening overheating a week, according to veterinarian Jordan Scherk. Salt Lake County Animal Control averages 120 calls a month reporting dogs locked in cars during the summer, “and we serve only about half the county,” said spokeswoman Callista Pearson.