Never leave animals in cars, conservatories, outbuildings or caravans on a warm day, even if it’s just for a short while. When it’s 22°C outside, temperatures can quickly rise to 47°C (117°F) in these environments, which can be deadly.

You can also keep your pets safe by:

• Using a pet-safe sun cream on exposed parts of your pet’s skin
• Making sure they have shade 
• Giving them constant access to fresh water
• Putting ice cubes in their water bowl
• Giving them damp towels to lie on
• It’s also worth checking pets regularly for flystrike.

Who to contact

Please call us on 0300 1234 999 if an animal is in danger of harm due to suffering cruelty or neglect or is sick, injured or trapped and needs our help

Take injured wildlife to local wildlife rescue centre or vet

If you see a dog in a hot car we urge you to ring 999 for help as we may not be able to attend quickly enough and, with no powers of entry, we’d need police assistance

What to do if you see a dog in a car on a warm day

First, assess the dog’s condition. If they’re showing any signs of heatstroke dial 999 at once.

If the dog’s condition is critical, and the police haven’t arrived yet, your instinct will be to break into the car to free them. But please be aware that this could be classed as criminal damage. You may need to defend your actions in court, so please be sure you’re doing the right thing. Legally, you can commit damage if you believe the car owner would consent to it if they knew the dog was in danger.

If you’re sure you need to free the dog, tell the police what you intend to do and why. Take photos or videos of the dog. Are there any other witnesses? Take their names and telephone numbers.

Don’t be afraid to dial 999. If it’s an emergency, we may not be able to get to you – and the dog – quickly enough. And as we have no powers of entry, we’d need to ask the police to help us rescue the dog. Don’t worry – the police will soon let us know if the dog needs our help.

Alternatives to taking your dog out in hot weather

Whilst your dog may look disappointed that you’re leaving them at home for a few hours while you go out – it really is in their best interest on a hot day.

As long as they have managed to have a dawn or late evening walk and you’re not leaving them for longer than four hours they should be happy either napping or with some things to do.

Preparing a Kong with mashed banana or dog food and then freezing it is a great long-lasting treat for a hot day. Lick mats are also a helpful addition as dogs also take comfort in licking. You might even want to hide some treats around the house or leave them their favourite toy.

Make sure, if you have a conservatory, your dog doesn’t have access. When you go out leave them in a cool place and have the conservatory doors shut tight so they don’t wander in and get stuck if a door shuts on them.

Information sourced from the RSPCA
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/dogsinhotcars