The story is from Pennsylvania and WPTZ: Dog Left In Hot Car Honks For Help.

[Owner Donna] Gardner said she took [11 year-old labrador] Max with her when she ran an errand, but forgot the dog was still in the car when she returned home.

“I came in and started cleaning and about an hour later I heard a horn blow,” she said.

Gardner went outside, but didn’t see anybody.

“So, I came back in the house and I started cleaning again and the horn blew again,” she said.

This time, Gardner said she saw Max sitting in the driver’s seat of her car.

“I rushed over and got him out real fast and he was panting like crazy,” she said. “I brought him in the house and he just dropped to the floor.”

Gardner gave him water and cooled him down with cold, wet rags.

Her daughter called the vet, who said Max was a little weak but otherwise OK.

Oh boy. Max not only saved his own life, but saved his owner a lot of heartache. It is without question an indication of intelligence on the dog’s part if he deliberately blew the horn. You could call it the use of a tool; in this case, the horn of the car, which he’d seen his owner use and somehow had the smarts to utilize in his dire situation.

Or, you might surmise that he was merely jumping up and trying to get his owner’s attention, or trying to bust out of the car, and accidentally hit the horn. That’s certainly possible too.

Either way, it’s one lucky lab and one lucky owner. Be careful out there, during these hot summer days and always.

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