Never leave you dog locked in the car during the warm season!

Never leave you dog locked in the car during the warm season!

Most animal lovers have probably heard of this problem but talking about this and spreading the word around is the best way to save lives: canine lives.

Owners should never leave their dogs unattended and locked in their car during the warm season, even if the windows are left open or if they're parked in the shade. The problem lies in the fact that many pet owners are not aware of how high temperatures can rise inside a locked car, how fast that can happen and how dangerous this is for a dog left inside.

Dogs don't sweat like we do. They cool themselves mainly by panting. This means that if the air around them is too hot they are physically unable to regulate their body temperature which is exactly what happens when they are trapped in the car.

A car can become an incredible hot oven quite fast, even when it doesn't feel that warm to us outside. If it's 22 degrees outside, the temperature inside the car can reach an amazing 47 degrees within an hour. In a hot day a dog can die of severe dehydration and heat exhaustion in just a few minutes!

Unware owners that need to quickly pop into a store and leave their pet locked in the car in a hot day, can be condemning their pet to suffer an agonising death. It only takes a couple of minutes!

You may also wonder what to do if you ever find a dog under these circumstances. If you ever see a dog locked in a hot car call the police on 999, the Fire brigade or the RSPCA 24-hour cruelty line 0300 1234 999 and stay with the dog until help arrives. If you see that the dog is in severe distress call 999 and ask permission to break the car's window. You can also alert the manager of any nearby businesses as it is likely for the owner to be somewhere in the shop.

An animal lover's first thought would be to immediately break the window and remove the dog from that awful situation. However it is important to keep in mind that only the Police, the Fire Brigade or the RSPCA are allowed to break a car window to access a dog in distress. Members of the public will have to pay for the damage if they break the window without permission.

Have a wonderful summer and keep your dog safe!

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