An animal welfare group has pleaded with Australians to wake up and stop condemning their dogs to horrific deaths and injuries by leaving them in cars on hot days.
RSPCA inspectors in South Australia were called in to rescue three dogs from inside hot cars with temperatures in the mid-30s last weekend.
An animal welfare group has now launched a website named after the rapid amount of time it takes for a dog to die of heatstroke inside a hot car called “Only six minutes” To raise awareness.
Dogs get heatstroke very quickly when the air inside the car gets too hot because they don’t sweat.
One estimate says that the temperature inside a car on a 20-degree sunny day can double in less than 10 minutes, and rise to 60 degrees in 30 minutes.
An animal welfare group has pleaded with Australians to wake up and stop condemning their dogs to horrific deaths and injuries by leaving them in cars on hot days.
RSPCA inspectors in South Australia were called in to rescue three dogs from inside hot cars as temperatures soared into the mid-30s last weekend – but with the mercury soaring, this is an issue on Australia’s part
Andrea Lewis, RSPCA Chief Inspector of South Australia told Daily Mail Australia that a dog stuck inside a car in anything over 25 degrees, especially in direct sunlight, is at risk.
“The message is don’t leave your dog in a hot car, it takes six minutes for a dog to die in a hot car,” Lewis said.
We’ve come across situations where owners came home, put their shopping away and forgot the dog was in the car, only to return later to find it dead.
“There is no intent involved, but the results of forgetting about the dog are tragic.”
Ms Lewis said dog owners need to be better prepared as temperatures start to rise.
Adelaide is set to hit the high 35s on Saturday and Perth will hit the mid-30s next week. Sydney and Brisbane are both expected to reach 31 on Monday.
The warnings also extended to dealers—or anyone—who would leave their dog tied to a ute on a hot day. Metal trays become “like a barbecue,” burning dogs’ paws and stomachs
Ms Lewis said the efforts many people are making to keep their dogs in are not enough – including leaving a window partially open
Lewis described dogs dying in cars as an Australian problem, not just one associated with any state or town.
In September 2019, the Queensland Government amended laws to make it illegal to leave an animal in a car in temperatures that could harm them.
It also boosted fines to a maximum of $40,000, with up to a year behind bars.
The move follows a year of horror in which the RSPCA in Queensland attended to 1,321 cases of dogs trapped in hot cars.
Ms. Lewis said the efforts many people make to keep their dogs are not enough.
“People think that shading, parking the car in the shade, or leaving the window open makes it okay, but it doesn’t stop the temperature from getting too high inside the car,” Ms Lewis said.
It does not affect the air circulation in the car on a still hot day when the temperature outside is 30°C.
If you’ve ever tried to sit inside a car on a very hot day, you’ll know, after about two minutes, everyone got out of the car.
“It can be very distressing, so why would it be any different for dogs?”
Leaving water for the dog doesn’t help either, Ms. Lewis said.
“The water heats up as quickly as the air,” she said.
We have rescued dogs many times and find there is a water container on the floor and hot. A little water won’t help once the temperature reaches 60 degrees inside the car.
Mrs. Lewis said that unless the owner could keep their dog with them at all times, it was best to leave them indoors on a hot day, somewhere where they could find shade.
“If you’re going for a drive and you don’t intend to stop and you have air conditioning, there’s no harm in that, but you should never leave your dog unattended in the car on a hot day.”
Where harm to a dog can be proven, under SA’s Animal Welfare Act, the maximum penalty is $20,000 or two years in prison.
For an aggravated offense, the maximum penalty is $40,000 or four years in prison.
The warnings also extended to dealers—or anyone—who would leave their dog tied to a ute on a hot day.
“Everyone has seen the dog on the back of a piece of oatmeal, but the steel trays have literally become like a roasting plate for dog feet,” she said.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Andrew Lewis (pictured) said the consequences of forgetting to have a dog in the car can be tragic
“A dog has no way of getting off this super hot surface so they can sustain severe damage, deep burns to their paws and even their stomachs…”
She said some dogs are more likely to die, too.
These include dogs that are elderly, overweight, and/or with long, thick coats.
Flat-faced ‘brachiocephalus’ breeds, which suffer from Brachial Airway Obstruction Syndrome (BOAS), are also at high risk.
“Breeds such as bulldogs, boxers and terriers are particularly at high risk because of their already poor breathing,” Ms Lewis said.
