Dog dies of heat in parked vehicle as man overdoses on drugs

A parking lot overdose claimed the life of a man and extreme heat exposure killed his dog, police discovered Friday morning at a parking lot in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The 28-year-old man and his large dog were both found dead in a vehicle on Friday morning, Wilmington police said in a release.

Police found drugs, needles and other paraphernalia in the vehicle, which was parked near a Petco.

The man lived in Burgaw, North Carolina. The dog is believed to be a mastiff.

Police say they believe the car was parked for "some time" before its discovery at around 7:30 a.m. Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that drug overdoses killed over 60,000 Americans in 2016.

The Humane Society says that the temperature of a car can rise to over 120 degrees in a matter of minutes on a hot day, even with the windows partly open.

WPXI