Furious shoppers confronted a woman in a Nantwich car park after they found this dog had been left in a car amid soaring temperatures.
The image, posted on social media, comes as the RSPCA is bracing itself for a surge in emergency calls about dogs shut inside hot cars.
Latest figures show there were 131 calls from Cheshire to the charity’s cruelty line regarding animals trapped in hot environments.
This incident happened in the B&M car park in Nantwich, and prompted shoppers to issue a tannoy call to the car owner who was then confronted.
Hundreds of people have also commented on the incident on Facebook.
The mini heatwave this Bank Holiday could see temperatures reach up to 25C or 26C today (May 7).
Last year, calls to the charity about dogs overheating reached nearly 8,000 and last month’s mini heatwave saw the RSPCA’s emergency hotline receive 241 calls in six days, 105 of which on just one day (April 19) as temperatures soared.
Today is also Dogs Die in Hot Cars Awareness Day.
The RSPCA leads a coalition of other groups and organisations raising awareness of the dangers associated with leaving pets in cars, caravans, conservatories and outbuildings during hot, summer weather.
The organisation has seen another spike in the number of calls coming through to its 24-hour emergency hotline – as reports rose again last year (2017) to 7,876* – the majority of which were regarding dogs.
RSPCA dog welfare expert Lisa Hens said: “It’s really concerning to see that the number of calls about this issue actually rose last year when it had been steadily falling over previous years.
“We had hoped the message was finally getting through but, sadly, it seems that this may not be the case.
“It’s so dangerous to leave your pet inside any hot environment whether it be a car, a conservatory or even a caravan.
“The temperature inside a car can soar to 47°C (117°F) within minutes, even when the outside temperature is just 22°C (72°F) and this can be fatal for a dog.
“Opening a window, parking in the shade or leaving a bowl of water for your dog isn’t enough and still leaves dogs in serious danger of suffering from heatstroke.
“And popping into the shop for five minutes is long enough for your dog to be affected.
“We would simply ask dog owners never to leave their pet unattended in a parked or stationary vehicle and, if the weather is warm, to leave them at home where they can access cool, shady parts of the house and lots of water.”
Advice
– If you see a dog in a car on a hot day, dial 999 and report a dog in a hot car to police.
– The RSPCA may not be able to attend quickly enough and, with no powers of entry, police would need to assist at such an incident.
– If the animal displays signs of heatstroke (panting heavily, drooling excessively, lethargic, uncoordinated, collapsed and vomiting) call 999 immediately.
– If the situation becomes critical and police can’t attend, many people’s instinct is to break into the car to free the dog.
– But without proper justification, this could be classed as criminal damage.
– Make sure you tell the police of your intentions, take photos or footage of the dog as well as names and numbers of witnesses.
– The law states you have a lawful excuse to commit damage if you believe the owner would consent to the damage if they knew the circumstances.
– Once removed from the car, move the dog to a shaded/cool area and pour small amounts of cool water over their body.
– Don’t use cold water as this could put your pet into shock.
– Allow the dog to drink small amounts of cool water. Once the dog is cool take him the to nearest vet as a matter of urgency.
If the dog isn’t displaying signs of heatstroke, make a note of the registration, ask a member of staff to make an announcement over the tannoy, and get someone to stay with the dog to monitor its condition.
You can call the RSPCA’s 24-hour emergency cruelty line on 0300 1234 999 for advice. If a dog is in danger, dial 999.
For more information visit https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/dogsinhotcars
Yes good job Cherrington wasn’t there, how would you be in the position to act when you don’t really know what happened?!
Such a vile remark, worthy of this nastiness that enters everyday life.
The owner may have simply forgot the dog was there
The owner may have another good reason like stupidity for example, no one died luckily so keep your rancid comment closed for now till the full story unfolds.
Gosh and I thought folk from here were civilised !!
No creature or child should ever be left in a car, but it keeps happening, could it be forgetfulness or sheer stupidity, who knows?
sadly this won’t be the last time!!
Good job i wasnt there. Or i wouldve been arrested for grievous bodily harm to owner.
I completely agree with you Paul. To many dogs off leads, have had 4 off lead dogs jump up at me recently, and almost knock me over. Fed up of it, not against people having dogs, but the owners need to ensure they are kept on leads regardless of where they are. And special places for dogs to run free should also be available. Not picking up after a dog fouls is disgusting, as is flinging bags of dog poo in alleyway and bushes, it’s purely lazy owners who can’t be bothered to walk a few feet to a dog litter bin. Which there are plenty of. Some dog owners actually think it’s funny letting their dog run and jump up at people. Its not acceptable, not everyone is confident around dogs.
Bring back the dog licence,too many irresponsible owners.
This includes letting dogs run of leads and letting them foul and then not pick it up.
Rather pointless unless someone is going to check dogs and enforce it. I doubt the police have the time for that.