Mr Taylor, who doubles as the resort's parking warden, was on patrol when he spotted the terrier roaming free and foraging in rubbish bags in Beaumont St.
After a short chase, the dog was caught and, as the Lakes Environmental compliance department's truck was in use elsewhere, the terrier was taken to the Lakes Environmental HQ in the passenger seat of Mr Taylor's car.
Mr Taylor went into the office to check the animal's registration so he could inform the owners but found, when he returned to his vehicle, the dog had locked the car doors. The car keys were in the ignition.
Mr Taylor said he was forced to call a garage attendant to break into the car.
‘‘I was bemused to see this dog sitting in the car. The engine was on and the air conditioning was running, while I was left outside hot and bothered,'' he said.
The dog was returned to its owners, who ‘‘definitely'' incurred no extra cost on top of their dog-recovery compliance costs, Mr Taylor said.
‘‘The garage attendant thought it was pretty funny and asked if maybe the dog had been talking to some of the carparking offenders around town,'' he said.
