Whangārei SPCA has report that dog died after being left in hot car

Whangārei SPCA is looking into reports that a dog died after being left in a car at Ruakākā. Photo / File

A dog which may have been left locked in a hot car at Ruakākā has reportedly died.

The SPCA cannot give exact details of the alleged incident, which is believed to have happened in the past week, as it was not reported directly to it.

"We have seen it happen, but we do not want incidents like this to happen again" said Francine Shields, SPCA Whangārei chief inspector and manager.

The SPCA enforces the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Shields said that the SPCA would consider charging people under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 for the death of a dog or similar, "it would obviously depend on the circumstance, but as you can see this is a very serious offence."

An individual can be charged with up to three years in prison, a fine of $75,000 or both. A corporation can be faced with a fine up to $350,000.

Shields wants to reiterate the importance of not leaving animals in the car even if the windows are down, because heat does not escape out of the window.

"Even if the windows are down, the inside of a car can reach 49 degrees after 30 minutes. Heat stress is really important to monitor as animals can go downhill really quickly," she said.

"If you can't sit in the car with a jumper on for more than five minutes, then you should not leave your dog in it."

Owners need to be "constantly checking air flow in kennels", as they are not always the safest place for animals as they can reach temperatures as high as 50 degrees.

Shields said it is best to walk dogs in the cooler parts of the day, such as mornings and evenings. The ground can be checked by holding the back of your hand against the footpath to check if it is a safe temperature. Dogs only sweat a small amount through their paws and relied on panting, so it was a lot harder for them to cool down.

Shields said this time of year could be unsafe for animals, because of the extremely hot weather. Owners needed to take extra precaution to ensure that their pets were safe in the heat.

Poultry also struggle outside in heat, so owners need to remain "super aware". They also need ample water which is in easy reach for the animal and not a long distance away.

Adequate shade is vital too.