Growing number of people leaving dogs to die in hot cars

The weather may seem a little grey and cold right now, but summer is well on its way.

While the idea blazing sunshine might seem appealing, the rising temperatures can become deadly for any dogs who are left in hot cars.

Despite multiple campaigns alerting people to the dangers of leaving your pet in the car, last summer saw a three-year high of reports of animals suffering from heat exhaustion.

The RSPCA reported 8,290 calls relating to animals and heat exhaustion in 2018 – 90 per cent of which were about dogs in hot cars.

Holly Barber, from the RSPCA, said: ‘Last year was our busiest for three years with almost 8,300 emergency calls made to the RSPCA about this issue – that’s a 5 per cent increase from 2017 and a 15 per cent rise from 2016.

‘It’s extremely concerning that despite all of our campaigning, dog owners are still ignoring our warnings and risking their pets’ lives by leaving them alone in cars on warm days.

‘How many more dogs need to die before people realise that split second decision – usually made due to convenience – could have life-changing consequences?’

The reports have continued this year, and the hotter than average Easter weekend saw 166 people call in to report a dog being left in a car as temperatures nudged into the mid-20s.

Cars can become hot very, very, quickly, and when temperatures outside are 22C it can take less than an hour for the inside to reach a deadly 47C.

The problem is wide-spread, with every single county in England and Wales reporting a number of incidents.

London was the worst culprit in 2018, with 620 calls being made to the RSPCA in relation to an animal in trouble due to heatstroke.

West Yorkshire came in seconds, with 285 calls and Kent a close third, with 280 reports.

If you see a dog in a hot car, it is best to dial 999 and report it to police.

The RSPCA may not be able to attend quickly enough and, with no powers of entry, they would need police assistance to break in.

If the situation becomes critical and police can’t attend, many people’s instinct is to break into the car to free the dog.

But please be aware that, without proper justification, this could be classed as criminal damage.

Make sure you tell the police of your intentions and take photos or footage of the dog as well as names and numbers of witnesses.

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.

Once removed from the car, move the dog to a shaded/cool area and douse him/her with cool water. Allow the dog to drink small amounts of cool water.

If the dog isn’t displaying signs of heatstroke, establish how long the dog has been in the car and make a note of the registration.

Ask a member of staff to make an announcement of the situation over the tannoy, if possible, and get someone to stay with the dog to monitor its condition.

You can call the RSPCA’s 24-hour emergency cruelty line on 0300 1234 999 for advice but, if a dog is in danger, dialling 999 should always be the first step.