Dogs die in hot cars. Even on days that don’t feel boiling, your car quickly becomes an oven in warm and sunny weather. Don’t roast your dog! Glorious weather is lovely – but it can be a death sentence for your dog.
Leaving your dog alone in a car – windows open or not – can be a potential death sentence. Would you really pop the pet that you love in the oven, shut the door and turn it on? No? Then don’t leave them in the car either.
Dogs Die in Hot Cars
It can get unbearably hot in a car on a sunny day, even when it’s not that warm.
In fact, when it’s 22°C/72°F outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 47°C/117°F within 60 minutes.
Unlike humans, dogs pant to help keep themselves cool. In a hot stuffy car dogs can’t cool down – leaving a window open or a sunshield on your windscreen won’t keep your car cool enough. Dogs die in hot cars.
What to do if you see a dog in a car on a hot day
At the supermarket one day we saw a dog sat in a car in the car park with the window slightly open. Our own car was like an inferno, even within seconds of the air conditioning being turned off. I marched to the customer service desk and stood shot-gun until the assistant called for the driver over the tannoy. If they hadn’t come back I would have phoned the police.
Before writing this article we asked Lancashire Police for their advice regarding what the public should do if they see a dog locked in a car. They advise using common sense: if you are in a supermarket car park or similar, do what we did and go into the shop and ask for a call to be made over the tannoy. Try and see if you can find the car owner and alert them to their pet’s needs.
If you are in a public place and there’s no possible way of knowing where the owner may be or when they may come back, ring 999.
Your duty to your pet
Under the Animal Welfare Act you have a legal duty to care for your animal and if you put your animal at risk, you could face prosecution. You would also have to live with the fact that your actions resulted in terrible suffering for your pet.
If you see a dog in a car on a warm day please call the Police on 999.
How to Treat an Overheated Dog
Heatstroke can be fatal. Do everything you can to prevent it. Here is some good advice provided by the RSPCA.
Some dogs are more prone to heatstroke. For example, dogs with short snouts, fatter or heavily muscled dogs and long-haired breeds, as well as very old or very young dogs. Dogs with certain diseases are more prone to heatstroke, as are dogs on certain medication.
If dogs are unable to reduce their body temperature, they will develop heatstroke. There are some signs to look for:
- heavy panting
- profuse salivation
- a rapid pulse
- very red gums/tongue
- lethargy
- lack of coordination
- reluctance or inability to rise after collapsing
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- loss of consciousness in extreme circumstances.
First Aid for Heatstroke
If your dog shows any symptoms of heatstroke, move him/her to a shaded, cool area and ring your vet for advice immediately.
Heatstroke can be fatal and should always be treated as an emergency.
Dogs suffering from heatstroke urgently need to have their body temperature gradually lowered:
- Immediately douse your dog with cool water. (To avoid shock don’t use cold water). You could put your dog in a shower and run cool water over him/her, use a spray filled with cool water or place your dog in the breeze of a fan.
- Let your dog drink small amounts of cool water.
- Continue to douse your dog with cool water until his/her breathing starts to settle. Never cool your dog so much that he/she begins to shiver.
Once you have cooled your dog down you should take him/her straight to the veterinary surgery.
Top tips for your dog in warm weather
Your dog should always be able to move into a cooler, ventilated environment if he/she is feeling hot.
Never leave your dog alone in a car. If you want to take your dog with you on a car journey, make sure that your destination is dog-friendly – you won’t be able to leave your dog in the car and you don’t want your day out to be ruined!
If you have to leave your dog outside, you must provide a cool shady spot where he/she can escape from the sun at all times of the day.
Make sure your dog always has a good supply of drinking water, in a weighted bowl that can’t be knocked over. Carry water with you on hot days and give your dog frequent small amounts.
Never leave your dog in a glass conservatory or a caravan. Even if it is cloudy when you leave, the sun may come out later in the day and make it unbearably hot.
Groom your dog regularly to get rid of excess hair. Give long-coated breeds a haircut at the start of the summer, and later in the season, if necessary.
Dogs need exercise – even when it is hot. Walk your dog early in the morning or later in the evening. Never allow your dog to exercise excessively in hot weather.
Dogs can get sunburned too – particularly those with light-coloured noses or light-coloured fur on their ears. Ask your vet for advice on pet-safe sunscreen.
Too Many Dogs Still Die in Hot Cars
A survey by the Dogs Trust revealed that a worrying number of people still continued to put their dogs at risk in hot cars on sunny days.
Their survey revealed that over 66% of people have seen dogs locked in a car on a hot day.
Temperatures can easily reach over 40 degrees which means that your dog could die within minutes.
The survey also shows that:
– 15% of those questioned called the police when they saw the dog locked in the car
– 49% tried to alert the driver
– 4% actually broke into the car to rescue the dog
– Over the last year 832 pets have been rescued from locked cars by AA patrols.
If you do see a dog in distress please ring 999 or in Lancashire you can call 101 or phone the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999
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