LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Three puppies enjoy the company of their new owners Wednesday after they were left in a hot car earlier this month in Lake Buena Vista.
On May 4, Orange County Animal Services helped rescue four Bernedoodles – a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and poodle – from the Disney Springs restaurant’s parking garage located near Epcot and several Disney Resort hotels.
One dog was unresponsive and later had to be euthanized after efforts from paramedics, according to a news release.
The other three recovered and were later adopted by staff from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s Fire Department.
It was later revealed that the dog’s owner recently purchased them from a breeder and stopped at the restaurant to have dinner with family.
The owner had windows cracked open, thinking the puppies would be okay when they got back. However, 90 minutes had passed since the owner left the dogs in the car, the release said. An alert security guard saw the dogs and called authorities.
“People have this misconception that shade or cracking the window will alleviate any concerns of overheating, it’s simply not the case, an animal should never be left in a car, especially during the summer months of Florida,” Orange County Animal Services Manager Diane Summers said in a statement.
A month prior, the agency said a similar incident happened at a local Goodwill where a Shih Tzu puppy was left in the car by its owner. Though the animal survived, local fire rescue crews recorded the temperature of the inside of the car to be 140 degrees.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate both cases.
CORRECTION: The headline on this story has been updated to reflect the garage's location at Disney Springs. The story has been rewritten to mention a Bernedoodle is a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a poodle.