There are so many things wrong with this picture: a puppy was left in a car on a day where temperatures soared above 90 degrees while his owners (presumably) watched an entire baseball game. Luckily, fate had other plans for this little pup, and they did not include dying of heat stroke that day.
Royals fans Josh Lee, his wife Erin, son Hudson and brother Michael Warner left the game early during the 8th inning, reports The Kansas City Star. That’s when they heard a muffled whimpering sound as they were crossing the parking lot.
They pinpointed the car and saw a stressed-out puppy, about 16 weeks old, crying in the car. Luckily, the window was cracked just enough for the kind spectators to wedge their hands through the opening and force the window down far enough to open the door from the inside.
While leaving the game, @_whitehulk_ Abe @Notre_Erin heard a pup locked in a car. We rescued said pup and … Contd pic.twitter.com/GTZPQ7mElq
— Tual Mahomys #NDinKC (@Notre_Josh) June 19, 2016
“While leaving the game, [we] heard a pup locked in a car. We rescued said pup and … turned him over to Royals staff who will keep him and deal with owners, if they claim him. If not, my bro will keep him,” posted Lee on Twitter. “People are dumb…Windows were cracked…we forced one down to open door.”
The rescuers then called the police, who worked with Royals staff to care for the puppy for the duration of the game, which went on for another 5 innings.
“They witnessed/assisted in getting in the car. We had water ready for him. They took him into guest service office and left a note for owner. [If] owner doesn’t claim, my brother will keep him,” Lee wrote in a Twitter interview, reports The Kansas City Star.
Had it not been for Lee and his family, this little guy could’ve been trapped in that car a full 13 innings–and probably wouldn’t have survived. According to the news story, no one had claimed the pup an hour after the game ended.
Royals director of guest services Anthony Mozzicato said that they rescue dogs trapped in cars about once a month, reports the article. He said, “I’m not sure why people do it. It puts us in a really awkward situation.”
This pup was fostered during his stray hold, but his careless owner never stepped forward to claim him. Josh Lee had considered adopting him, but was unable to due to breed-specific legislation in his community. Luckily, his brother was happy to welcome the puppy into his home!
The home team won that day, but Josh Lee and his family are the true heroes of this story.
(h/t: The Kansas City Star)
