On Wednesday at about 4:35 p.m., a call was made to Dearborn Police about a dog left alone in a car parked in the parking lot of Target on Ford Rd.

The pooch, an 11-year old Chow-Cocker Spaniel mix, was left unattended in the sedan in direct sunlight while it was 95 degrees outside. The windows, however, were slightly ajar and when the responding officer arrived, he was able to unlock the door by reaching through the opened back window.

Shortly after freeing the dog, the owner, a 59-year woman, arrived to the car at about 4:50 p.m. The man who called Dearborn Police was still present and he got into an argument with the dog's owner. The argument eventually escalated and the owner yelled at the caller, whom the owner felt had no reason to be involved in the situation.

The owner claimed she had only gone into Target for about 10 minutes as planned. She was issued a citation and will have to appear in court for animal cruelty, but was nonetheless allowed to remain in possession of the dog.

As for the dog, it was breathing heavily when the officer arrived on the scene, but was otherwise healthy, the officer reported.

For questions on this crime report, email dearborn@patch.com.