A man who left his car for four hours with a dog inside while he went to have fun in the sun has hit out at people who rescued his dog.
He reacted with anger when he returned to his car at Frensham Ponds, Surrey, where temperatures reached 35°C on Sunday to find a window had been smashed.
He had left his dog with a window only slightly ajar, sparking concern from people who were passing by.
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After an hour of waiting and passing water through the window to the dog they took the decision to smash a window with a hammer to free the French bulldog.
However, the owner didn’t return for another three hours and then started getting angry at the people who rescued the dog.
He started dancing, waving at the camera and shushing them, apparently more bothered about the damage to his car than his dog.
Police were called but they told rangers to return the bulldog to the owner and give him words of advice.
Hollie Marie Evans, who recorded the event said: ‘The temperature was increasing and the dog was showing signs of distress, and he started being sick and his breathing became erratic.
‘We needed to get the dog out for his welfare. The group decided for the dog’s safety to break the window and get him out.
‘We broke the window, got the dog out and took him to shade. He was still being sick.’
Hollie added: ‘We waited for just over four hours in total for the owners to return. They weren’t remotely interested in the dog’s welfare and were more concerned about the broken window of the car.
‘No thanks was given, just abuse and threatening behaviour.’
Waverley Borough Council said: ‘With the help of concerned members of the public, the dog was retrieved, given water and kept in the shade of the rangers’ office.’
The dog was handed back to the owners after advice from police and they were told about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars.
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The RSPCA says: ‘In an emergency, we may not be able to attend quickly enough, and with no powers of entry, we’d need police assistance at such an incident.
‘Don’t be afraid to dial 999, the police will inform us if animal welfare assistance is required.’
Crucially, the RSPCA adds: ‘If the situation becomes critical for the dog and the police are too far away or 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.’