Most people know that leaving a pet in a car in hot weather can be dangerous. But still, police receive frequent calls from concerned residents about this problem.

So now, North Andover Police have created a visual aid to get the message out, and they've parked it at the North Andover Mall.

You may notice two dogs sitting in a police cruiser in that parking lot. Don't be alarmed. The dogs are plush toys. And you're welcome -- and in fact encouraged -- to go over and look. There is a thermometer in the cruiser that shows how hot the vehicle is.

"This is to get people really thinking about this," new CSO Amy McCarthy said. "It's never a good idea to leave your pets in a car, you're better off just leaving them at home."

Leaving a pet in a hot car is a form of animal cruelty. On an 85 degree day, the inside of a car climbs to more than 100 degrees within a few minutes. And after 20 minutes, that same car will be up to 120 degrees. Even if it's a nice 70 degrees outside, the inside of your car can spike to almost 100 degrees after a few minutes.