A DOG had to be rescued by an RSPCA inspector after it was left in a hot car parked at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern on Saturday.
Inspector Suzi Smith had been patrolling around the showground at the RHS Spring Festival and asked the show’s organisers to announce over the tannoy for the dog’s owners to attend the car and open the doors.
Outside the temperature was 16.1 degrees but inside the car temperatures had reached 31.4 degrees.
Inspector Smith said: “The owners were genuinely shocked to see the temperature inside the car had reached over 30 degrees.
“They honestly thought at 16 degrees outside there wouldn’t be an issue and they were very thankful for our help.
“This just shows how easy it is for people to get caught out by this.
“They had only been parked up for half an hour.
“We would always urge pet owners to make alternative arrangements for their pets or to take them with them where possible to avoid leaving them in the car.”
The RSPCA is part of the Dogs Die in Hot Cars campaign alongside The British Parking Association, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Blue Cross, British Veterinary Association (BVA), Dogs Trust, The Kennel Club, Mayhew, National Animal Welfare Trust, The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), PDSA, TeamOtis-UK and Wood Green The Animals Charity.
Over the May bank holiday weekend the RSPCA received 217 calls about dogs locked in hot cars across England – around three calls every hour.
RSPCA campaign manager Holly Barber said: “Many people think it will be fine just to leave their pets for a minute or two but we know that this is all it takes for temperatures inside a car to soar to dangerous levels.
“Dogs die in hot cars – don’t let your pet be one of the number.
“We have been doing a lot of campaigning lately about the dangers of leaving your dog in a hot car, and it’s really worrying that despite this, some people are still putting their pets in dangerous situations.
“Our main advice to owners is not to leave dogs in cars and our main advice to passers-by is to call 999 if they’re concerned about an animal in a hot environment.”
