Officers from the Turlock and Stanislaus State University police departments rescued a canine in distress after it had been locked in a vehicle Monday afternoon.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Monday the Turlock Police Department received a call from a citizen reporting a dog was locked inside a vehicle in the 2800 block of Countryside Drive. The caller stated there were no windows cracked open for the dog, and it did not appear to have any food or water.

Officers from both departments responded to the call and found the dog was showing signs of distress. A Slim Jim was used to open the vehicle and rescue the dog, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Russ Holeman.

The officers called the phone number on the dog’s collar to reach the owner, who had been shopping in a nearby store.

The woman said the dog had only been in the car for five minutes, but the time when the incident was reported and when officers arrived at the scene was longer than that, Holeman said.

The woman was issued a citation for leaving an animal confined in a vehicle. The infraction carries a maximum fine of $100 for a first-time offense.