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Tucson police will investigate the deaths of three dogs that were left inside of a Pima Animal Care Center vehicle for about an hour Saturday.

The incident occurred Saturday morning in the 4400 block of East 16th Street — near South Columbus Boulevard — when a Pima Animal Care worker picked up the dogs on a leash law violation and for welfare issues to include not having water, according to Vicki Ann Duraine, public service supervisor for the center.

The dogs had been placed in the vehicle, which was turned on and had the air conditioning running, while the worker prepared to leave a notice for the owner, she said.

As the worker was doing so, the owner returned, Duraine said.

The worker was going to hand the dogs back over to the owner and issue a citation but when the door was opened, the dogs were dead, Duraine said.

Authorities do not know what killed the dogs and said that the vehicle will not be used until it is thoroughly inspected and the cause of death has been determined, Duraine said.

Results from the necropsies could take up to a week, she said.

The animals were mid-sized dogs, one of which was an aussie mix and the remaining two were shepherd mixes, Duraine said.

“We express our regret and sympathy regarding this incident,” Duraine said. “This is obviously distressing for us as well.”

Pima Animal Care contacted the Tucson Police Department to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a police spokesman.

“They want an outside agency to investigate,” he said.