A San Francisco dog walker accused of leaving eight dogs in a van for almost two hours while she was in a mall acknowledged Monday that she made a mistake and is racked by remorse over the situation.

A tearful Pamela Uberti, 67, said in an interview that she “made a terrible mistake” when she left the pets in the van at the Stonestown Galleria shopping center near Lake Merced Park.

“I did the wrong thing. I know that. It was a huge error. I know better. I just screwed up so bad,” she said.

Uberti, owner of San Francisco dog walking company 4 Your Paws Only, went into the mall after walking the dogs at a nearby park. She said she was going to buy a pair of running shoes before driving home across town, but came down with a migraine headache.

“I got to the mall and I got sick. I couldn’t see, and I couldn’t function,” she said. “But that’s no excuse.”

Concerned citizens, who were outside, heard barking coming from the van and called city animal control officers.

Officers arrived at the scene just before 1 p.m. and noticed the barking, but didn’t think the dogs were in immediate danger. After some 20 minutes, however, police and mall security noticed the pets seemed more distressed and considered breaking into the van, said animal control agency Director Rebecca Katz.

That’s when Uberti finally showed up to a crowd of angry onlookers who were yelling at her.

“When I came out, there was a crowd,” Uberti said. “Someone was screaming at me. When there is a whole crowd of people staring at you in hate, it’s scary, but I deserved it.”

News crews later showed up to the scene and the drama intensified. “The dogs were tied up in a hot van — no water, nothing,” witness Olga Mroz told KRON.

Uberti opened the van and the dogs emerged unharmed, despite the 92-degree temperatures inside the vehicle, which an officer at the scene measured, Katz said.

Uberti was cited by officers on suspicion of eight counts of leaving dogs in a car without adequate ventilation.

Fines for the violation can carry up to a $100 penalty per animal, according to the California penal code.

“I think it’s important for not just dog walkers but anybody to know that dogs can die in cars in the heat. It can be very dangerous,” Katz said.

Meanwhile, officials said they will revoke Uberti’s commercial dog walking permit, which is required for anyone walking four dogs or more on city property.

Over the past few days, Uberti said she has been getting death threats after the story ran on television Friday.

“This thing is a nightmare,” she said. “I can’t answer my phone. I have had texts that are so vile.”

One of Uberti’s clients, Claire Currie, whose Boston Terrier named Bogie was in the van during the incident, has watched the scrutiny unfold. She said the incident was “out of character” for Uberti and still trusts her.

“She loves our dog and our dog loves her,” Currie said Monday. “To see her get vilified is heartbreaking. This is her livelihood.”