If it weren't an alert diner, a German Shepard puppy may not have survived on Sunday after Albany police say a man left his dog in the backseat of car while he ate brunch for almost 40 minutes.  Outside temperature was 82, but inside it was as hot as 117 degrees and the officer who arrived at the scene thought the dog was deceased,

Police say the dog’s owner was identified as Brandon Reploeg, a dining room customer. The Schenectady man was arraigned Monday morning and charged with one count of Animal Cruelty. The incident happened at the Italian American Community Center parking lot on Washington Avenue extension sometime around noon Sunday.

Police officer Gregory Mcgee descrbed what he saw to News10 ABC,“Once I got him out of the car, he was unsteady on his feet,” McGee described. “His tongue was hanging out of his mouth. He had a rapid heartbeat. I used my water in my car. Started hand giving him water, and he immediately jumped in the back of my patrol car. I turned the air conditioner on for him. He stayed there and cooled off.”

The German Shepard puppy is currently at a local humane shelter, and officer McGee said if the dog becomes available, he would like to adopt it.

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