Benicia police save dogs left inside vehicles

The Benicia Police Department is reminding owners not to leave their pets inside cars in hot temperatures.

Benicia Community Services officer Gabriela Lopez responded to two calls of distressed dogs inside vehicles on Sunday. In one incident, the temperature inside a vehicle with two dogs was 96.9 degrees, while the other vehicle reached an even hotter temperature of 125.7 degrees.

In the second incident, officer Chris Francis could not quickly locate the owner of the vehicle and due to the extreme heat, he broke the car window to rescue the dog that was clearly overheating and in distress. The dog was transported to receive treatment.

The pet owners in both incidents were cited for Benicia Municipal Code violations, and the owner of the second dog was also cited for a misdemeanor charge for endangering the animal.