The GFPD reportedly had to break a window today to rescue dogs trapped in a vehicle near Parkdale. Incidents like this occur several times a year for pets, thankfully not as frequently as they used to happen with children.
“A good way to guard against this is to leave a window cracked,” explained Lieutenant Matt Fleming. “You are compromising the security of your vehicle, potentially. But if you leave a window cracked, it allows for ventilation, and that keeps the temperature in the vehicle much lower.”
Even in temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees, the interior of vehicles can heat up significantly within 15 to 20 minutes, often more than people realize. Different dog breeds have varying levels of heat tolerance.
“There are ways to guard against it,” explained Lieutenant Fleming, “but generally speaking, if we see an animal in distress and we can’t contact the registered owner and we can’t find a faster, more efficient way to enter the vehicle, we will break a window from time to time. We can’t put an animal’s life ahead of a person, but we also can’t let an animal suffer or die.”
By Karen Anderson: May 6, 2026 – Great Falls, Mt
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
