Dogs die in hot cars

With the sun shining and the heat turned up we thought we would share the information (sourced from the RSPCA website) about the danger of leaving a dog in the car on a warm day.

Many people still believe that it’s ok to leave a dog in a car on a warm day if the windows are left open or they’re parked in the shade, but the truth is, it’s still a very dangerous situation for the dog.

A car can become as hot as an oven very quickly, even when it doesn’t feel that warm. When it’s 22 degrees, in a car it can reach an unbearable 47 degrees within the hour.

What to do if you see a dog in a car on a warm day.

Establish the animal's health/condition. If they're displaying any signs of heatstroke dial 999 Immediately and they will notify animal welfare.

If the situation becomes critical for the dog and the police are too far away/unable to attend, many people’s instinct will be to break into the car to free the dog. If you decide to do this, please be aware that without proper justification, this could be classed as criminal damage and, potentially, you may need to defend your actions in court.

Make sure you tell the police what you intend to do, why, and take images/footage of the dog and the names and numbers of witnesses to the incident. The law states that you have a lawful excuse to commit damage if you believe that the owner of the property that you damage would consent to the damage if they knew the circumstances (section 5(2)(a) Criminal Damage Act 1971).

If the dog is not displaying symptoms of heatstroke:

Establish how long the dog has been in the car? A ‘pay and display’ ticket could help.

Make a note of the car’s registration. If the owner returns, but you still feel the situation was dangerous for the dog, you may still report the incident to the police.

If you’re at the supermarket/venue/event ask the staff to make an announcement to alert the owner of the situation.

If possible, get someone to stay with the dog to monitor their condition. If they begin to display signs of distress/heatstroke, be prepared to dial 999.

You can also call the RSPCA cruelty line for advice 0300 1234 999. However, if the dog is in danger, dialling 999 should always be the first step.

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