Melissa, Lexi and Daniel want to remind everyone to never their dogs inside a hot car. Photo / Bevan Conley
Melissa, Lexi and Daniel want to remind everyone to never their dogs inside a hot car. Photo / Bevan Conley
A Whanganui woman's fruitless mission to free a dog locked in a hot car has prompted warnings from authorities about the dangers of leaving pooches in hot cars over summer.
Whanganui woman Melissa, who did not want her last name to be used, found it was almost impossible to helpwhen she recently came across a dog locked in a hot car at Whanganui Hospital.
Melissa has filed a complaint with the SPCA.
She was visiting the hospital with her son when she came across a puppy in the back of a double cab ute with both windows on the passenger's side cracked down a few centimetres.
She returned after 10 minutes and the puppy was still jumping up on the front seat but she was concerned and called Whanganui Police Station which put her through to emergency services.
After waiting a while Melissa rung emergency services again who then tried to contact the owner of the vehicle through the registration.
She also went to the hospital's main reception to see if they could contact the owner.
One receptionist rang the SPCA which was closed while another receptionist handed her a bottle of water to give to the puppy.
"I tried to get water through the cracks in the window but the dog was too weak to jump up, it wouldn't even open its mouth, it was panting but wouldn't look up to drink and then fell back on the floor and I was getting really concerned," she said.
Melissa tried to call the dog ranger again but the council advised her to the SPCA.
The council also tried to contact the owner through the vehicle registration but they did not answer.
"This is an animal and I have a dog and I'm thinking, I don't know what I'm meant to do," Melissa said.
"We were there for an hour and a half before the owner came back."
She has since filed a complaint with SPCA and is now waiting to hear back on the condition of the puppy.
Leaving your dog in a vehicle even with the window slightly cracked can still be dangerous coming into the summer months. Photo / 123rf
Whanganui veterinarian from Vets on Carlton, Chelsea Underwood said dog owners should never leave their dogs inside a car, even in the shade and even with the window down.
There was not way dogs could be left safely in a stationary vehicle.
"They really need to pant cool air to cool them down as they breathe out so they really need to have cool air around to stay cool enough," she said.
"Just cracking the window isn't enough they have to be right down and even then they're still in a metal enclosure it's still going to heat up pretty fast in the sun.
"It may only be 21 degrees outside but inside a car, it reaches 40 degrees within 30 minutes."
The same goes for walking your dog on the pavement during summer.
"The general rule of thumb is if you can't get the back of your hand pressed against it [the pavement] for more then five seconds it can burn your dog's paws."
When leaving dog outside Underwood emphasises that all animals should have water they can access to drink.
SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen said despite reminding dog owners of the dangers of leaving a dog in a car they receive calls almost every day from people around the country concerned about pets locked in cars.
The SPCA has received 883 complaints nationwide in 14 months of a dog left in a vehicle.
January this year proved to be their busiest time with 181 complaints laid.
Underwood said if someone saw a dog in a car and it looks distressed then call the Police as they may be able to contact the owner of the car through the registration.
Police also urged people not to leave animals or children unattended inside a car, especially in the summer heat.
"Animal Welfare regulations mean that if you leave a dog in a hot car and it becomes heat stressed, you and the owner of the vehicle can be fined $300," Police said in a statement.
"If you see a dog in a vehicle in hot weather, please call Police or the SPCA."
The Whanganui District Council advises anyone who is concerned for a dog left inside a car to contact Police or the SPCA before contacting them as they are not warranted under the Animal Welfare Act to respond to dogs left unattended in hot cars.
