The Wheat Ridge Police Department (WRPD) in Colorado was forced to break open a trailer on June 22 after reports of a dog trapped inside in scorching temperatures.

A concerned resident contacted the police about a trailer that had been parked in the neighborhood for three days. As the weather got warmer, the resident noticed a pit bull inside alone.

The tip prompted a quick response from the Community Service Officers (CSOs) of WRPD. When they arrived at the scene, the officers saw the dog inside the trailer but couldn't ascertain if it had any access to water.

Using an infrared thermometer, the CSOs were able to check the temperature inside the trailer and found readings between 88 and 98 F.

Even more worrying was the dog's body temperature, which registered at 100 F—a sign of potential heat stress.

The CSOs knew they needed to act, so they contacted patrol officers to help them unlock the trailer and rescue the dog. Soon the trailer was opened, and the dog was removed.

"We're sure you wouldn't want to be stuck in a trailer with 100-degree heat. Don't do that to your pets," said the WRPD on its Facebook page.

Newsweek reached out to WRPD via email for comment.

Dogs can overheat very quickly in hot trailers or cars. On a 75 F day, the interior temperature of a parked car can climb to 110 F in minutes, and in as little as six minutes, a dog can suffer severe heat exhaustion and die.

Dogs struggle to regulate their body temperature compared to humans, keeping themselves cool primarily with panting, which becomes ineffective when they are stuck in an enclosed and hot space.

"As you can imagine, the dog was scared, but after careful coordination on scene, we were able to get him inside a kennel and took the dog to our partners at Foothills Animal Shelter," the WRPD revealed on Facebook.

Newsweek also reached out to Foothills Animal Shelter via email for comment.

Sadly, dog deaths as a result of being trapped in hot vehicles are all too common. Last year, a dog was killed after being left in a hot car while its owner allegedly visited a Rhode Island casino. Last week, an investigation was launched after the death of a beloved K-9 dog left in a hot car in Georgia.

After the police department shared the incident on its Facebook page, many people rushed to thank them for their actions in the comments.

"Thank you officers!" said Maria, while Facebook user Kay said: "Thanks for getting that fur baby the hell out of that oven!!"

Laura added her own experience: "Thank you for caring about the animals! I called WRPD today due to a dog in a car for over 30 mins. WRPD were there in 12 minutes. Inside the car was 106 degrees. Dog was panting so much. I appreciate how quickly WRPD came and they also gave the owner a good tongue lashing and a ticket."