Bystander rescues overheated dog from car in Grand Bend

CTV London: Dog rescued A man smashes a car window to save a dog suffering in the heat at Grand Bend Saturday.

A small dog was pulled from a sweltering car in Grand Bend Saturday after a man used a rock to smash the vehicle's window.

A Kitchener man who witnessed the events unfolding, says the dog was in rough shape when it was rescued from the car around 6:30 p.m.

"The dog was completely soaked. The owners didn't show up for another 50 minutes. I believe in another 50 minutes it could have been fatal," says Will Costa.

Costa and some of the others in the crowd gave the dog some water once it was outside.

Temperatures hit 30 degrees Saturday and Costa says it would have been extremely hot for the dog locked in the car.

Festivities were being held in Grand Bend Saturday as a new band shell was unveiled.

Costa says the announcer at the event told the crowd about the dog's plight and asked the owner to retrieve it promptly.

"When I heard the announcer, I couldn't believe it," Costa says. It was so hot."

He went to the parking lot to see what was happening. "Everyone started huddling around the car."

Costa says a man was slamming the window with a rock and it took about 20  minutes to break through. It took another 50 minutes before the owners arrived on scene, about the same time as police.

Costa says a couple in their 20s, presumed to be the owners, were asked by police to attend the police station. The Grand Bend OPP detachment could not confirm if charges were laid or a warning was given.

Costa says the couple seemed confused at first when they arrived in the parking lot. "They started to become more embarrassed."

Costa says the dog had on a collar with the name Cotton on it.