Police have issued a warning to pet owners over leaving animals in hot cars after a dog had to be rescued by officers.
Wiltshire Police removed a large dog from a car in Stirling Road, South Marston, after reports at just before 8.30am on Wednesday from a member of the public concerned about its welfare.
The dog was seized and taken to kennels. Its owner has been spoken to and will be invited for an interview under Section 4 of the animal welfare act 2006, which criminalises causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, the force said.
Temperatures have begun to climb again across the UK, as the country looks set to enter its third heatwave of the year over the weekend.
PC Paul Croft, dog legislation officer, added: “Over the next few days we will be having very hot weather. Please do not leave your dog inside a hot car. The temperature in the vehicle will be a lot hotter than it feels outside and can cause serious injury to the animal.
“If you do see a dog left in a hot car and it is in distress please do call 999. Don’t try to force entry to the vehicle yourself as you may be committing an offence.”
John Warwick, who has run Swindon & District Animal Haven for 29 years, told the BBC that dogs do not always need to be walked in the hot weather.
“They’re just as happy laying in the house. A dog’s paws can get burnt on the concrete and tarmac can melt and hurt them,” he said.
“It’s common sense, a lot of people worry they should always walk their dogs - but not in this weather,.
The RSPCA lwarns leaving your dog in a car during hot weather can be fatal.
The charity say that “many people think it’s ok to leave their dog in the car if they’re parked in the shade or the windows are open. But a car can become as hot as an oven, even when the weather doesn’t feel that warm. When it’s 22 degrees Celsius outside, the car could reach an unbearable 47 degrees within an hour.”
The RSPCA advise anyone to call 999 if they see a dog displaying signs of heatstroke in a car. If the dog’s condition is critical and police have not arrived, the charity emphasise that breaking into the vehicle “could be classed as criminal damage. You may need to defend your actions in court, so please be sure you’re doing the right thing. Legally, you can commit damage if you believe the car owner would consent to it if they knew the dog was in danger”.
