Excessive heat is as dangerous to pets as it is for people. One Valley family found out the hard way after leaving their dog at home with a cleaning crew.
Cash, an English Bulldog, became part of Julie Reynolds' family seven years ago.
"He was just the sweetest little roly-poly English Bulldog puppy," said Reynolds.
Cash, Reynolds says, never met a stranger and was attached at her hip.
"He was my dog, so stayed close by me all the time. Always followed me everywhere. Yeah, just a sweet boy," Reynolds said.
Her world was shattered a few days ago after a cleaning crew worked at her home.
"The first time they were out, I gave them instruction about my dogs can't be outside for very long, so please just tuck them away in the bathroom if they get in your way," Reynolds said.
What happened on Tuesday, Reynolds says, was avoidable. Her son was the one who found the dog outside and not moving. The dog, unfortunately, died due to the heat.
"I can't say, without the shadow of the doubt, they knew this was happening," said Reynolds.
Reynolds doesn't want ABC15 to identify the company. She and her family wants only to warn other Valley families of heat dangers when it comes to pets.
Experts recommend not walking dogs in the middle of the day to help avoid overheating them. They also suggest doing a ground check by placing your hand on the ground for a few seconds. If it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for your dog's paws.
Reynolds and her family also warn people against trusting their pets' well-being with anyone outside of their own family.
