Kansas: Wichita officers rescue dog from hot SUV; owner complains about broken window

KANSAS -- Wichita police say a dog owner was cited for animal cruelty after officers rescued the animal from a hot SUV parked at a local Walmart Tuesday afternoon.

Sgt. Nikki Woodrow said a mixed-breed dog was in the vehicle around 3:30 p.m. at the Walmart on North Maize. Announcements on the store public address system failed to bring a response.

"While officers were there, the temperature inside the window continued to rise," Sgt. Woodrow said. "The dog was panting heavily and showing signs of distress."

After about 45 minutes from the first announcement for the owner, an officer broke out the side passenger window to free the animal and give it water.

KAKE.com showed a temperature of 92 degrees in Wichita at the time. Sgt. Woodrow said the temperature inside the SUV had reached 110 degrees.

The dog was cleared by a veterinarian and taken to Animal Control.

The dog's owner says the vehicle's windows were cracked and the dog had water.

"The officer that (broke the window) said that (the dog) was falling over, but I've had her in my vehicle (on) hotter days than now and she's never fallen over," the man says. "And I've always given her water and had the windows cracked."

Police say the man then called to complain that his SUV window was broken out.

Broken window or not, the owner was cited for animal cruelty.

(KAKE - Aug 10, 2016)