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Firefighters rescue dog from hot car in 102 degree weather

The vehicle was parked in full sun with the windows cracked, and the animal was clearly struggling, Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Matt Dahl said

By Julie Johnson
The Press Democrat

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Firefighters Saturday jimmied the lock of a vehicle parked outside Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa to rescue a small dog in distress from the rising heat inside the car.

The mercury, which hit triple-digit temperatures Saturday, had jumped about 20 degrees between noon and 2 p.m., about the time a 911 caller told dispatchers the dog seemed in peril, Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Matt Dahl said.

The vehicle was parked in full sun with the windows cracked, and the animal was clearly struggling, Dahl said. They unlocked the door and gave it water. They called Sonoma County Animal Services when they couldn’t find the owner, he said.

The high Saturday was 102 degrees, and with two more days of triple-digit temperatures predicted, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the region through 9 p.m. Monday.

“Overnight lows will be quite warm as well, so it could be uncomfortable for those who don’t have air conditioning at night,” National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson said, noting low temperatures could stay in the 70s and 80s in the hills and upper 50s and 60s inland.

Tuesday was forecast to bring slightly cooler weather.

Copyright 2017 The Press Democrat

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