Dog left in U-Haul at least 100 degrees inside while owners went to Florida beach: See video of rescue

Police in Florida say a couple is facing criminal charges after they left their dog in a U-Haul truck on a sweltering afternoon to go to the beach.

The scene took place at New Smyrna Beach, a city about 15 miles south of Daytona Beach on the Sunshine State's east coast.

Officers with the New Smyrna Police Department responded to the scene on Sunday after they said a passerby alerted them the pit bull mix had been in the vehicle for nearly an hour.

Body camera video released by the agency shows a large brown dog in the passenger seat of the truck with the window cracked slightly.

The dog paws at the window and can be heard panting as an officer attempts to give the dog water by pouring it from a plastic bottle through the cracked window.

'Heartbreaking and infuriating':3 puppies rescued, 1 killed, in parked car in Disney Springs

Vehicle temperature was likely at least 100 degrees

A time stamp on the footage shows officers at the scene just after 3:30 p.m. local time. on Sunday.

The temperature outside was 86 degrees, and there was no cloud cover at the time, “meaning the temperature inside the vehicle was likely 100 degrees or more,” police wrote on Facebook.

Dog removed from hot U-Haul taken to humane society

The dog was safely removed from the U-Haul, police reported, and taken to a local humane society.

Charging affidavits were sent to the Volusia County State Attorney’s Office for the dog's owners, a 27-year-old and 28-year-old from Orlando, police spokesperson Ava Tanner told USA TODAY Wednesday.

Tanner said each of them face the following first-degree misdemeanor charge: confinement of animals without sufficient food, water, or exercise;  abandonment of animals.

Under the law, if convicted they each face up to a year in jail, a $5,000 fine or both.

“Never leave an animal or a child alone inside a vehicle, even for a short period. It could be deadly,” police wrote in the social media post. “Thank you to the vigilant person who noticed the dog in the car and reported it so we could help.”

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.