It has been a typical British summer again this year.
Intense heat for a week and followed by a mix of warm and pleasant days along
with the inescapable showers. As we have very few days of particularly hot
weather there is confusion as to what to do when we see pets in a car on a hot
day.
Is parking in the shade with the window open enough?
Is parking in the shade with the window open enough?
In short wherever possible, don’t travel with your dog on a
hot day especially if you plan on making a stop. Remember if you’re uncomfortably warm in the
car, your dog will feel worse as it is incapable of sweating to cool itself
down.
When it’s 22 degrees, in a car it can reach an unbearable 47
degrees within the hour.[1]
The Dogs Trust put together a powerful video showing how intense the heat in a
car can get.
There are now more call outs to the AA and emergency
services about dogs in locked cars than in previous year. This does not
necessarily mean that this is happening more but only that bystanders are more
likely to act and are aware of the dangers.
If you stumble upon a dog locked in a car on a hot day and
you believe the dog is in distress you should try and get in contact with the
owner i.e. ask to make a tannoy announcement. If this doesn't resolve the
situation ring the emergency service or the RSPCA.
Try and establish how long the dog has been in the car by
looking for a pay and display ticket or what kind of parking space the car is
in. If the owner returns but you still feel the situation could have become
dangerous you can still report the incident to the police.
If you decide that the right call of action is to free the
dog yourself then you must be aware that without proper justification it could
be classed as criminal damage and you may have to defend yourself in court.
To protect yourself inform the police of your actions, take
images or footage of the situation and gather contact details of witnesses.
