Inverness dog owners warned about pets in hot cars

Dogs should not be left in hot cars

DOG owners in Inverness have been urged not to leave their animals in cars because they could be boiled alive and die, according to the Scottish SPCA.

The animal welfare charity issued the warning as the city finally basks in rising temperatures and sunshine following several weeks of unsettled weather.

SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said it was not scaremongering but a fact that dogs had died "horrific deaths" across Scotland having been left in suffocating cars.

The charity received 240 phone calls from concerned members of the public about dogs left in hot cars in 2010 and has already received 82 calls this year.

"Many more will also have been caused a great deal of suffering, which may or may not have been noticed by their owners when they returned to their cars," said chief superintendent Flynn.

"Too many owners mistakenly believe that winding down a window or leaving a bowl of water is enough. Some owners also don’t realise that leaving their dog for a short period of time is risking its life as cars can heat up very quickly."

Inverness experienced an unseasonally blustery and cool May but the chief superintendent said cars could still become too hot for pets on warm, cloudy days.

"It is essential to understand that as the heat from the sun is intensified through the glass a dog will pant to try and cool down, which can lead to severe dehydration and hyperventilation.

"Sadly, we have dealt with cases where dogs have died because their body temperatures have increased to the point where they have effectively been boiled alive from the inside. The suffering these poor dogs endured would have been horrendous."

"Our advice is to leave dogs at home and make adequate arrangements for feeding or exercise needs," said chief superintendent Flynn, who added any owner found guilty of causing an animal unnecessary suffering would be committing an offence.