Edmonton police have rescued a cold, abandoned puppy which had been locked in a pick-up truck without food and water for up to three days.

Police were alerted to the puppy, a six-to-eight-week-old American Staffordshire Terrier, found whimpering in the vehicle sitting in a parking lot around 11 p.m., said police spokesperson Patricia Thenu.

Temperatures have dropped to between -10 and -15 C over the last few nights. After police failed to reach the owner, they called a tow truck.

At that point the 26-year-old man showed up. Police issued him a summons and carted his dog off to the downtown station to get warm and have a meal. The puppy was also given a new name — Charles.

The pit bull or American Staffordshire Terrier puppy now named Charles spent up to three days in a locked pick-up truck in west Edmonton. (Janice Johnston/CBC News)

The dog is with the city's animal control branch where he'll stay for the next 10 days before a decision is made on what happens next.

"Charles was examined by our veterinarian staff here, our vet techs, and he's in relatively good shape," said Keith Scott from the Edmonton Animal Control Centre.

"We don't see any serious issues at this time but we're going to monitor him over the next few days while EPS conducts their investigation and we'll make our determination."

The owner will appear before a judge and may end up facing charges.