Police: 2 dogs rescued from hot car in Palm Bay

PALM BAY, Fla. - Palm Bay Police say two women left a pair of two-year-old pit bull mixes in a sweltering car in an apartment complex parking lot. 

Luckily, property manager Robert Christian noticed them. 

"Came across one vehicle that had dogs in there, kinda looked in there. Walked away for about 20 minutes. Came back again, they were still in there, they were hot, called the police," he said.

Christian said the police got to the parking lot within minutes. They recorded the temperature in the car at 96 degrees. 

"Palm Bay Police Dept did a great job. Got them in custody, got them out of here, got the dogs to safety."

Police say when they rescued both dogs, named Calianne and Kurama from the car, they were panting and acting sluggish. Both of them lapped up two bottles of water without stopping. 

"They were right about that. And they got out and drank more water. But after the sheriff's department showed up, they gave them more water, they got up, walked around, happy as could be," Christian said.

Police arrested Makayla Harper and Holly Ellison for locking the dogs in the car, charging them with animal cruelty. Christian says he's happy he could help. 

Makayla Harper, 20, and Holly Ellison, 26, both of Palm Bay, were taken into custody on charges of cruelty to animals and confinement of an animal without food or water.

"Dogs are like family," he said, "gotta treat them like kids."