A poor dog was stuck in a cage outside in the sweltering heat, being sold by its owners. At least, that's what police were told.
Police in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, were called to Plymouth Street to rescue a dog in a cage being sold at a yard sale on Sunday morning, the agency said. The dog was left in the sun and given no water, the caller told police.
With temperatures heating up in the Greater Boston area in recent days, those conditions are dangerous for animals.
But when officers arrived at the scene, they made a discovery that surely brought good news to the concerned caller: the dog was actually a stuffed animal, and the urgent call had been a misunderstanding.
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After sharing news of the false alarm Tuesday, the Bridgewater Police Department received a flood of replies, many praising the caller for their good intentions.
"Sending love to this caller!" one user wrote. "If it were a live animal, he or she would have saved the poor dog!"
Local
It's true — with a heat wave predicted for this week, dangerously hot weather poses a serious threat for pets in the region. Pet experts say our furry friends should be kept inside during extreme heat.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke to watch for in a pet include heavy panting, fainting, wobbling, confusion, collapsing, diarrhea and vomiting.
Dogs should never be tethered outside for more than four hours in the state of Massachusetts.
