Police in Florida rescued a stranded dog whose owner had left trapped in a car with all the windows rolled up on a hot summer day.

"Repeat after us...it is never OK to leave your pet in an unattended vehicle. It is illegal and if you do it in the City of Boynton Beach, you are going to be cited for it - at a minimum." Boynton Beach Police Department said when the posted a video showing their officer breaking a car window to save the animal.

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In the posting, police said that they had received a 911 call about the animal, adding that it was "easily 110 degrees [43C] inside that car".

Responding officers attempted to find the owner in nearby stores but when they were unsuccessful Sgt. John Dunlop broke a back window with his baton to free the pitbull.

Police said the owner turned up 10-15 minutes after they had received the 911 call and said that she had run into the bank, leaving the dog in her car, after the drive-thru was closed. The dog's owner was "educated" about the law and cited by an Animal Cruelty Investigator for the incident, although the dog was returned to her.

The animal cruelty investigator, Liz Roehrich, said that often the owners caught up in these situations are "otherwise responsible, loving and good caretakers" who are unaware of the law and think it's OK to leave their dogs for a short period. "We are here to tell you that it is not. Ever." Boynton Beach Police Department said.

"Our advice, stop being lazy (harsh, yes, but true). Bring your pet home and then go back out to run whatever errands you need to do." The police department wrote.

They also took the time to thank Ilisa Diamond who was the original 911 caller who alerted police to the poor pooch's predicament.

Florida