Officers broke vehicle's window to get dogs

Officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety rescue two dogs from a vehicle parked in the parking lot of Ferguson Medical Center Tuesday. (Sikeston DPS photos)

SIKESTON -- Two dogs were rescued after being locked in a hot, parked vehicle Tuesday in Sikeston.

About 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, an officer with Sikeston Department of Public Safety responded to a report of animal cruelty in the parking lot of Ferguson Medical Group, 1012 N. Main St.

The officer found a parked vehicle turned off, and all four windows were barely rolled down, according to reports.

"One dog was seen lying in the front passenger seat and breathing very heavily," said Capt. Bill Mygatt with Sikeston DPS. "Another dog was in the backseat, lying with its head halfway under the driver's seat. The officer saw the dog breathing heavily but couldn't see its head."

The temperature at the time was 97 degrees with a heat index of at least 110 degrees. Officials made an attempt to unlock the vehicle but to no avail and contacted Lowes to unlock the vehicle.

"The dogs' breathing got worse, and they couldn't wait any longer. They broke put the windows to free the dogs," Mygatt said.

The dogs were turned over to the animal shelter.

The officer contacted the complainant, who said the vehicle was parked in the lot before she arrived, and she was out in her vehicle for 30 minutes when she heard a dog barking. She then saw the dogs inside the vehicle and called the police.

The vehicle was towed, and DPS was never able to make contact with the owner, Mygatt said.

For this story and more, see the Thursday edition of the Standard Democrat.