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A husky, now staying at Fulton County Animal Services, is lucky to be alive. It was left in a hot van for at least two hours. Thankfully, someone spotted the dog and reported it.

“I made the judgment call to force entry through the driver's side window, unlock the doors, got the dog out, gave it water,” says Animal Control Officer Nick Walton. “It drank more water than I ever saw a dog drink.”

The caller saw the dog around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday in the vehicle at Dunwoody Courtyard Apartments on Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs. The temperature at the time was around 93 degrees. The heat index was 98 degrees.

By the time Walton could get to the scene it was 7:30 p.m.

“What concerned me the most is the coat of a husky is made for colder weather. So, in particular, a husky or a thick-coated dog is more susceptible to a heat stroke or overheating when it's kept in an environment such as a hot car.”


Walton says the dog's owner has been cited, ordered to appear in court. She has seven days to claim the dog, but a supervisor must approve its release.