Popping to the doctor's for a quick prescription or routine appointment usually doesn't take long. But for one woman from Würzburg, Germany, her visit lead to some unexpected consequences.
She parked her car on Reiserstraße in the Grombühl district this summer and headed into a nearby practice.
Alert witness becomes lifesaver
Shockingly, she left something important behind in the car - her little dog.
This set off a chain of dramatic events. Within a matter of minutes, it became so hot inside the car that the dog was fighting for its life!
A passer-by spotted the desperate animal panting for air and didn't hesitate in calling the police.
The responding patrol officer saved the dog, before searching for the irresponsible owner.
The shocking reaction
When they eventually tracked down the dog owner, her response left even the officers speechless. Instead of showing remorse or understanding for the danger she had put her pet in, the woman remained completely unrepentant.
Her indifference towards her own dog's suffering had serious consequences: she now faces prosecution under animal welfare laws, with what should have been a harmless doctor's visit ending up in court.
Officers stressed that neither animals nor children should ever be left in closed vehicles during warm weather. Even with outside temperatures of just 26°C (79°F), a car's interior temperature can rise to over 35°C (95°F) within 15 minutes - a life-threatening situation for both humans and animals.
Police urged pet owners to act particularly responsibly during summer months. Just a few minutes can be enough to cause heatstroke or even death.
