Scotland’s animal rescuers have warned people not to leave dogs shut inside cars in the heat after an incident in Renfrewshire.
Temperatures within vehicles can be DOUBLE that of the air - meaning this week’s 27C equates to a deadly 54C.
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A dog walker at an Erskine wildlife haven walked two dogs - while leaving another two alone inside his car.
Concerned park-goers called in police as the poor hounds were left for up to an hour.
It happened at the Boden Boo reserve on the bank of the River Clyde on Wednesday morning.
One dog walker revealed the police were able to phone the man to get him back to the motor.
She said: “This person shouldn’t be walking dogs.
“They were in the boot, strapped in, facing the sun.
“The windows were opened barely an inch and they were clearly distressed.”
The dogs were inside a white Vauxhall Mokka car and the man was unapologetic when he got back.
The dog owner added: “I was shocked he was a dog walker and asked him what was he thinking, and he said sarcastically that he appreciated my concern, the dogs were fine and air conditioning was on.
“It wasn’t and he said he was only gone twenty minutes. He tried to say the dogs were both his but I don’t believe that either.
“He was super defensive and aggressive and drove off.
“There was an older man trying to help for the 40 or 50 mins I was there, trying to pull the windows down.
“This guy shouldn’t be walking dogs, it’s stupid to leave dogs in the car and take others on a walk in the most moderate weather never mind 22C heat.
“He only came back cause the police called him. If they hadn’t he might have been longer and it could have been fatal.”
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Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said it can take only a few minutes for a dog to overheat in a hot vehicle and leaving a window open or a bowl of water simply is not good enough.
He said: “Our message is simple – don’t risk it. 22 degrees outside can mean 44 degrees inside the car.
“If there is a possibility you might be leaving the dog in the car, even on a warm, cloudy day, just leave your pet at home with plenty of water and adequate ventilation. If your pet is outdoors, make sure there is an adequate space with shelter where they can get out of the sun.
“A dog in a hot car is in serious and immediate danger and a member of our team will attend any reports of these as quickly as possible. If someone witnesses a dog inside a car on a hot day, contact 999 immediately.
“If a dog is in a critical situation in a car and the police are not in attendance, instinct can be to smash a car window to break the dog out. This could be classed as criminal damage without proper justification and anyone who does so may have to defend themselves in court. The law states that someone has a lawful excuse to commit damage if they believe the owner of the property they would damage would consent if they knew the circumstances.
“We would advise anyone who is going to break a dog from a hot car to inform the Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland first and this should always be a last resort. We would also advise taking the names and numbers of any witnesses and to take photos and videos of the dog.
“Anyone with concerns about the welfare of an animal should contact the Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
