A dog locked inside a car in the blazing sun has been rescued just in time by the Municipal Police.
On Tuesday, 17th June 2025, just before noon, officers from the Municipal Police in La Seyne-sur-Mer, France, responded to an emergency call. They were dispatched to Traverse Messine, a residential street in the northern part of the town, following reports of a dog in distress locked inside a parked vehicle in the sweltering heat.
When they arrived, several local residents reported that the van had been parked there since the previous evening with the animal still inside.
A desperate situation
As they approached the vehicle, the officers found a very distressed Malinois dog. He was pacing frantically from the back to the front of the van, violently hitting the metal sides and at risk of injuring himself. A window had been left open by just a few inches, letting in very little air, and the temperature inside was likely suffocating.
The dog was clearly suffering and needed urgent help. The officers managed to give him some water and a few biscuits while they waited for authorisation to intervene. After contacting a senior officer at the La Seyne-sur-Mer police station, they were given the go-ahead to remove the animal from the van. Wearing bite-proof gear, one officer approached the Malinois, offered him more water, and then managed to safely secure him. The dog was immediately taken to a vet for medical attention.
They rescue the dog and get a baffling explanation
Shortly after the rescue, someone close to the dog's owner arrived at the scene. He claimed that the dog had bitten a child the day before and had been "locked in the vehicle, without food or water" as a precautionary measure. An investigation has been opened for the intentional endangerment of an animal's life, an offence punishable under Article 521-1 of the French Penal Code. The penalty is up to six months in prison and a fine of €7,500.
