Good Samaritan Nabs PETA Award for Helping Dog Trapped in Hot Vehicle in Cornelius

For Immediate Release:
June 25, 2025

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

A Compassionate Action Award is on its way from PETA to Suzanne Vella, a good Samaritan who called for help but was reprimanded by a dangerously uninformed police officer after entering an unlocked truck on a 90-degree day to offer water to a clearly distressed, heavily panting dog trapped inside. The truck, which was parked near Wendy’s at the Norman Crossing Shopping Center, was turned off, had no A/C, and had the windows cracked open just about an inch, according to Vella.

As Vella told PETA, she was leaving the gym on June 7 when she observed the dog alone and in distress for about 5 to 10 minutes. After trying to find the owner, she called 911 and told them she was opening the truck’s unlocked door. Video—which has since gone viral—shows the dog desperately drinking water that Vella provided.

A police officer who arrived on the scene scolded Vella for entering the unlocked vehicle and asked the dog’s owner—who claimed he had been using the bathroom at Wendy’s—if he wanted to press charges. The owner declined and was allowed to drive away without any warning, citation, or education. On June 13, after Vella’s video went viral, the Cornelius Police Department announced that the dog’s owner is under investigation for alleged animal cruelty, and that an internal investigation into the responding officer’s conduct is underway. The police department said it is also reinforcing its training procedures to “ensure that all personnel respond professionally, respectfully, and with empathy in every situation.”

“A parked vehicle’s internal temperature can reach deadly triple digits in just minutes, so every second counts for a dog trapped inside,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA encourages everyone to follow Suzanne Vella’s heroic example by acting swiftly whenever they see an animal in danger.”

PETA recommends the following for people who spot a dog in a parked car: Write down the color, make, model, and license plate number, and rush to have nearby stores page the owner of the car—if the owner can’t be found, call local humane authorities or the police. And if they’re unresponsive, do whatever it takes to save a life. PETA offers an animal rescue kit, which includes an emergency window-breaking hammer, for intervening in life-or-death situations.

Vella will receive a framed certificate along with delicious vegan chocolates and the emergency window-breaking hammer from PETA.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.