Overheated Dog Rescued by County Animal Services

An overheated stray dog that could barely stand up was rescued this week by animal services officers in Indio after a good Samaritan called 911.

A woman saw the dog Tuesday in Indio -- where temperatures hovered around the century mark -- and called police, saying the boxer-bulldog mix appeared "thirsty or hungry or distressed," Riverside County Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said.

Two animal services officers located the dog around 2 p.m. in a field on Avenue 44 near Oasis Street. They eventually got the canine into their truck, put water on him and offered him water.

At the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, staffers put the dog in a plastic children's pool with ice packs and gave him fluids through an IV. Welsh said the dog was "in bad shape" when he arrived.

Veterinary technician Priscilla Dewing agreed, saying the animal "was panting and very lethargic and could barely stand up."

Staff got the dog's temperature down to 99.5 from 108 degrees in 45 minutes, and expect he will be all right. The dog doesn't have a tag or microchip, Welsh said.

If no one comes to claim the dog by Saturday, it will be available for adoption then, according to Welsh.

– City News Service.