On Oct. 1, a dog was left shut inside a parked car near a St. Pete Beach access area while the temperature outside sat around 89 degrees. The engine was off. There was no air conditioning, no open window and no water. The dog had been confined to the trunk area.

A passerby spotted the dog and flagged down Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies. When they couldn't find the owner, deputies smashed a window to get the dog out. The inside of the car was hot, and the dog was clearly panting. Once free, it gulped down about three cups of water.

According to deputies, the owner, a 36-year-old St. Petersburg man, came back roughly 20 minutes later and admitted he knew the dog was in the car while it was turned off. He was arrested and now faces an animal cruelty charge.

This dog survived because a stranger spoke up and deputies acted fast. The next dog may not be so lucky. A plea deal or a light sentence would send the wrong message to every pet owner in Florida.

The Office of the State Attorney for Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit, which prosecutes cases in Pinellas County, should pursue this charge fully. If there is a conviction, prosecutors should ask the court to bar the owner from owning or caring for animals. Florida lawmakers should also review whether current penalties for leaving animals in hot vehicles are strong enough to stop this from happening again.

Sign the petition to demand full accountability for this dog, before another animal is left to suffer in a hot car.