Three people concerned Saturday about a dog left in a car in the parking lot of the Giant supermarket in Mahoning Township called police, but were upset when the officer who responded would not get the pet out of the vehicle.

Police said they cannot take an animal out of a car unless the animal is in distress.Danielle Palumbo of Palmerton said she pulled into the lot at about 11:15 a.m. and saw a silver Lexus with a black Shih Tzu inside, barking and panting. When she came out of the market at about 12:15, the dog was still in the car. The temperature in Lehighton was 89 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service.Palumbo and two others said the windows in the car were down about three inches. They called township police, but said the officer put his hand through the opening and told them it was cooler inside than out. He said he could not do anything, and left.Several minutes later, at about 12:25 p.m., Palumbo said, the woman who was driving the car came out of the store with a baby. When confronted about the dog, she responded with vulgar language and drove off, witnesses said.Mahoning Township police said the car windows were down about six inches and were tinted, keeping the temperature cooler than outside, and that the dog was barking and panting, but not in distress.Police said that unless a dog or other animal is exhibiting signs of illness from heat, police cannot break a window or otherwise damage a vehicle to remove it.The Humane Society of the United States, the SPCA and other animal advocacy groups advise pet owners to never leave an animal in a car on a hot day.For those who see an animal in such a situation, the Humane Society recommends that they take down the car's make, model and license-plate number. If there are businesses nearby, notify their managers or security guards and ask them to make an announcement to find the car's owner. If the owner can't be found, call the non-emergency number of the local police or animal control and wait by the car for them to arrive.While Pennsylvania has no laws specifically prohibiting leaving a pet in a car on a hot day, those who do could be charged with cruelty to animals under the state's crime code.