Clive Oxley was walking past a car park in St Ives, Cornwall when he noticed a dog trapped in a cage inside.
The 49-year-old saw the pet was struggling to breathe inside the four-wheel drive vehicle, so decided to smash the rear side window to rescue it.
When the owner came outside, she was furious that her car had been vandalised. But she quickly changed her tone when she saw police there as well.
Credit: SWNS
The woman apparently left the dog inside the Kia for an hour and a half while she ate at Pizza Express.
Mr Oxley said: "There is no reason at all to leave a dog in that state. But for something as insignificant as going for a pizza is unbelievable.
"She was a holidaymaker and was really embarrassed. She claimed she'd only gone for an hour and a half. Inside it was estimated to be 52°C. That poor dog was absolutely boiling in a tiny cage with no water and no air. You couldn't even touch the roof of the car, it was flipping boiling."
Devon and Cornwall Police say what Mr Oxley did was legal, as he believed the dog was in distress. Despite it being mild outside, the inside of a car can reach extremely high temperatures if left in the sun.
People praised Clive for helping the dog:
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This problem isn't new. Animal lover Jess Ritchie tried to raise awareness of the issue last year when she locked herself in a car on a hot day.
The temperature rises from 35°C to 41.5°C and Jess begins to have trouble breathing, as well as sweating a lot.
Credit: SWNS
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"This is absolutely horrible. I can't even think," she said shortly before deciding to end the film.
She lasted ten minutes in the car before she had to throw in the towel, which is a fair effort when you consider how hot it got in there.
Jess uploaded her video to Facebook and it's been shared over 6,000 times already. Let's hope it makes some pet owners think twice before they decide to leave their pooches locked in their cars this summer.
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: Dogs