Police are urging dog owners not to leave their pets trapped in hot vehicles.
The warning comes after police received a number of calls over the weekend from concerned members of the public who have found distressed dogs trapped inside sweltering vehicles.
Even during relatively mild weather, a car can quickly heat up in the sun, despite the outside temperature feeling fairly cool.
During the heat experienced over this weekend, vehicles can turn deadly.
Unlike humans, dogs pant to help keep themselves cool. In a hot stuffy car dogs can’t cool down – parking in the shade, leaving a window open or a sunshield on your windscreen won’t keep your car cool enough and your dog could die.
Under the Animal Welfare Act you have a legal duty to care for your animal and if you put your animal at risk, you could face prosecution. You would also have to live with the fact that your actions resulted in terrible suffering for your pet.
If you need to travel by car with your dog, avoid the heat of the day. Make sure you keep a ready supply of water available, make regular stops and never leave it alone in a vehicle.
If you see a dog in distress, please call the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Or you can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999
