Dog Rescued After Nearly Dying From N.J. Heat Inside Mercedes-Benz​: Cops

New Jersey State Police rescued a dog that had nearly died from severe heat stoke inside a very hot Mercedes-Benz this past weekend.

At 2:27 p.m. on Saturday, police were dispatched to the Ranch Hope Thrift Store parking lot in Pilesgrove Township after getting a call about a dog inside of a Mercedes-Benz with only one window opened approximately one inch.

When a police officer arrived, he observed the dog lying on its side inside of a crate in obvious distress. Fearing for the dog's safety, he quickly decided to break the rear driver's side window with his expandable baton, police said.

Once he removed the dog from the crate, he brought it to a shaded area where he poured water over the dog's body and gave it water to drink, police said.

Troopers then transported the dog to Saint Francis Veterinary Center in Woolwich for further treatment. At the time of arrival, the veterinarian confirmed the dog was in critical condition, suffering from severe heat stroke.

The dog's owner, a 43-year-old woman from State College, Pennsylvania, who was not identified, was charged with animal abuse and released pending court. The dog was last reported to be in stable condition and will remain with animal control until court proceedings.