AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Niles man is facing an animal cruelty charge. His dog was hospitalized after being left inside of a hot car at Hollywood Gaming in Austintown, according to a police report.

Officers were called to the racino just before 1 p.m. Wednesday. Several frantic people in the parking lot flagged an officer down, pointing to a vehicle in the lot.

One man said he was walking past the car when he noticed a dog heavily panting inside. He said the dog collapsed onto the seat, at which time he called 911 for help.

Police said the windows of the car were up and sealed, and the car was turned off.

The pit bull appeared to be having a seizure on the floor, according to a police report.

The officer was able to open the car with a lock-out tool and remove the dog, which was unresponsive and hot to the touch, the report states. Police said the temperature at the time was around 84 degrees.

According to the report, security at Hollywood Gaming told police the car pulled in at 12:38 a.m. and had been parked there since then.

The dog was turned over to a Mahoning County humane agent and was later taken to Akron Animal Hospital for treatment.

The dog’s owner, identified in the report as 55-year-old Charles Winwood, was arrested and later released on an animal cruelty charge. He was also banned from returning to the racino.

Animal Charity of Ohio, which responded to the call, posted a reminder on its Facebook page Wednesday about the dangers of leaving an animal in a hot car.

The agency said the dog isn’t out of the woods after getting care at the hospital in Akron.