Good Samaritan Who Rescued Dog From Hot Truck Honored In Palm Desert

Palm Desert CA

17 June, 2022

2:41 PM

Description

PALM DESERT, CA — A woman who rescued an unattended dog from a hot truck in Palm Desert has been honored by PETA for her efforts that likely save the pooch's life, according to an announcement Friday from the nonprofit animal welfare organization. Palm Desert resident Sue Harvey is the bystander responsible for smashing the truck's window to rescue the 8-year-old Pomeranian mix that had been left unattended in the vehicle for at least 45 minutes in late afternoon on June 1 when the daytime high temperature in the city reached 102 degrees. "I'd do it all over again if I had to," Harvey told PETA officials. The truck window Harvey smashed to save the little dog. (Photo: RCDAS) Riverside County Department of Animal Services reported it received a call around 6 p.m. June 1 about the dog left inside a hot Chevrolet Colorado at The Shops at Palm Desert, 72-840 Highway 111. Harvey had called 911 after she spotted the unattended pooch in the truck. Knowing the animal's life was in immediate danger, she asked passersby for help. She borrowed a hammer from one of them and broke the truck's window to access the overheated animal. An RCDAS officer had rushed to the scene and found the little dog's temperature was very high — 104.9 degrees. The officer took the canine to the VCA Valley Animal Medical Center & Emergency Hospital in Indio where it was examined and treated for heat stroke, according to RCDAS spokesperson John Welsh. The dog's life was saved after hospital staff administered fluids and did blood work, according to Welsh. The 8-year-old Pomeranian mix saved by Sue Harvey. (Photo: RCDAS) RCDAS staff veterinarian Dr. Luis Lizarraga said a 106-degree temperature can be fatal or cause such damage to a dog's brain that the injuries are irreversible. "A parked car's internal temperature can reach deadly triple digits in just minutes, so every second counts for a dog trapped inside," said PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O'Brien. "PETA is honoring Sue Harvey for saving this dog's life and reminding us all to do whatever it takes to help vulnerable animals." For her efforts, Harvey is receiving PETA's "Compassionate Action Award," which includes a framed certificate signed by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, vegan chocolate bars, and a "Too Hot for Spot" sunshade for her car. "It's very dangerous to leave pets in cars during high-temperature days," Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said. "Please leave your pets at home in the air conditioning or, when traveling with your pet, never leave them in a car." A sheriff's deputy who responded to the scene at The Shops at Palm Desert arrested the dog's owner on suspicion of leaving an animal in an unattended motor vehicle under conditions that endangered its health and well-being. The woman was released at the scene, according to Welsh, and her identity was not disclosed. The woman could face jail time if convicted, although she was able to take her dog home on June 2 from the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms after paying the $1,033 veterinary bill at the VCA hospital, according to Welsh. The woman admitted she was wrong and hopes to learn from her mistake, according to RCDAS. It is legal for someone to smash a vehicle window to save a pet if the animal appears to be in imminent danger. California is one of a handful of states that allows good Samaritans to rescue animals without facing penalties. The California law — started in 2017 — protects people from civil and criminal liability if a vehicle is damaged due to a pet rescue.