A dog died Wednesday after being left in a hot car outside Walmart in Trussville for about seven hours.
Trussville police Lt. Phil Dillon said officers responded to the shopping center parking lot at 11 a.m. after shoppers spotted the dog suffering in the back of the sedan.
Facebook Live video shows a concerned crowd gathered around the car, which was in the front of the parking lot next to the handicap spots. At least one man tried to get the door open but was unsuccessful.
Police ran the car's tag number and then had Walmart page the woman over the loudspeaker multiple times, Dillon said. There was no response and officers, once they got permission from a supervisor, then broke out one of the rear windows.
They pulled the still-breathing dog from the floorboard and placed her on a bed of paper towels. Onlookers provided ice and water to the officers who wet the dog and tried to get her to drink water. They also tried to make shade for the dog.
She rallied a couple of times, but then passed away.
Dillon said store surveillance video showed the woman, a white female who is 31 or 32, parked her vehicle at the store at 4 a.m. "What she was doing there we don't know but she doesn't work there,'' Dillon said.
Onlookers were initially concerned there was a baby in the car because there were two car seats, but no children were found inside. Dillon said when police finally made contact with the owner - about an hour after the dog died - she said she didn't hear the loudspeaker calling her name.
Dillon said animal control officials took possession of the dog and will keep her while the investigation continues. The woman was not arrested on the scene, but Dillon said charges will definitely be filed against her by Friday.