Watch as a police officer rescues this dog left in hot car

Police hope that surveillance video showing an officer rescuing a small dog that had been left locked in a car on a hot summer day will serve as a reminder for pet owners everywhere to think about their animals this summer.

It was 82 degrees outside when Officer Cody Wetterau of the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department was notified by a good Samaritan that an animal was in locked in a car with the windows rolled up in the parking lot of a local department store, according to the department. When Wetterau arrived on scene, the small dog was hiding in what little shade it could find in the vehicle. A witness said the animal had been in the car for at least 30 minutes with no sign of its owner.

Wetterau took swift action, opening the locked car and rescuing the dog. The animal was sitting in the officer's squad car with the air conditioning on high when its owner returned. The police department estimates it was 114-119 degrees inside the vehicle when Wetterau got the dog out.

The police department says although the dog's owner was apologetic, the case will be sent to the city's humane officer for further follow-up.

The department shared the video to its Facebook page, where it has been viewed more than 14,000 times, with many people thanking Wetterau for saving the little dog.

"Please, leave your pets at home or somewhere safe when you go shopping," the department wrote in the post. "A little dog could have died today for no reason."