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Dogs Die in Hot Cars
The Issues Travelling with Animals Warning Signs What to do in an Emergency How you can help
The Issues
Each year, the RSPCA receives hundreds of distress calls about animals (usually dogs) being left in cars in the heat.
An animal left inside a closed car on a hot summer’s day can die in less than 6 minutes.
The temperature inside a closed vehicle left in the sun can double within 12 minutes. The temperature inside the vehicle can reach around 73°C, but the dog may be dead by the time the temperature reaches 55°C. The animal will suffer horribly in its last minutes.
Remember
· Vehicles in the sun get hot at any time of the year.
· A vehicle can get hot even with the windows down in a cool, shaded position – the clouds and sun can move quickly.
· Leaving car windows down on an unattended vehicle is illegal and will not prevent a car from reaching extreme temperatures.
· Vehicles are made of metal and glass – both heat up quickly and retain heat. Generally speaking, vehicles with larger glass surface areas (e.g. hatchbacks) heat up faster and to higher temperatures than similar-sized sedans.
· Tray-back utilities can get extremely hot. Dogs travelling on the back of utes must be secured and have access to shade and water – preferably under a canopy.
· Due to health regulations, dogs cannot enter shopping centres, unless in special circumstances and with prior agreement from management. (In an emergency, however, the cool air of a shopping centre may help save the life of an animal in distress.)
· Dogs tied up unattended outside a car or building may present a risk to the public and may be at risk themselves (from cruelty, theft and weather conditions). You may also be in breach of local council laws.
Leaving an animal without appropriate water and shelter is an offence under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001.
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