Don’t leave dogs alone in cars

If you’re going out in the car, think very carefully about what you are going to do with your dog.

You should never leave a dog alone in a car. It can get unbearably hot in a car on a sunny day, even when it’s not that warm.

In fact, when it’s 22ºC outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 47ºC 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.

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. Heatstroke can be fatal. Do everything you can to prevent it. 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.