HOUSTON — A dog that was left on a second-story apartment balcony while its owner was out of town was rescued Tuesday by the Houston SPCA, Precinct 1 deputies and the Ponderosa Fire Department.
According to the Houston SPCA, someone reported that the dog needed help after seeing it suffering from the heat on an apartment balcony on Cypress Station Drive near Cypress Trace Road.
Chief Animal Cruelty Investigator Jay Chase said the dog was on the balcony without water for several hours before neighbors called for help.
"It was past cutting it close," Chase said.
When a rescue team arrived, the dog was unresponsive and wasn't moving.
"When they got on the patio, it looked like the dog had expired. As they investigated, the dog lifted its head and gasped and they realized it was alive," Chase said.
“We noticed the dog took in a breath, so we moved quickly to get him off the balcony,” Sgt. Joseph Soto with Harris County Constable Precinct 1 said. “Reporting cruelty made all the difference in getting him the help he desperately needed."
Thanks to neighbors and rescuers, the dog is expected to survive.
"The dog is improving and on its way to health," Chase said.
Since the dog's owner was out of town, the rescue team needed an exigent warrant to remove it. The dog was rescued and is now under veterinary care at the Houston SPCA.
It's illegal to leave pets in the heat
With extreme heat expected to continue this week, the SPCA said it expects its call load to continue rising. They said it's already stretching their staff thin.
"There's so many of these calls ... regardless of where we are in the city, we drop what we're doing and go to them," Chase said.
You can be fined up to $10,000 for animal cruelty in Texas. You can also be sentenced to two years in prison. Charges are still possible in this case. A hearing will be held in 10 days to determine who keeps the dog.
To report animal cruelty or an animal in distress, please call 713-869-7722 or file a report at houstonspca.org.