Puppies rescued from car after internal temperatures soared to over 45°C

Those who work on the frontlines of animal rescue say that dog owners continue to underestimate the risk of leaving their animals inside cars.

“It’s an ongoing problem, with many dog owners thinking that cracking the windows makes it safe,” says SPCA Inspectorate Regional Manager Jason Blair.

“This just isn’t the case. Having the windows down and even parking in the shade doesn’t make enough of a difference on a warm day.”

Despite SPCA’s ongoing warnings every year, these types of welfare calls still come in regularly. In a recent case, SPCA was alerted to two puppies that had been left inside a small carrier on the front seat of a car.

“The puppies were contained in a carrier, on a box in the front seat of the vehicle in full sunlight,” Jason says. “Both puppies were panting heavily with their eyes half-closed, showing signs of severe heat stress.”

“The windows were cracked about 10cm, and we were able to take a temperature reading. It was over 45°C in that car.”

Time was of the essence, so the Inspectors broke into the car to rescue the puppies.

They were taken to the nearest vet clinic, and they recovered once given water and time in a cool environment.

The owner of the puppies contacted SPCA 50 minutes after they’d been removed from the car, and was in disbelief that the temperature had risen so much. He said that he’d left them on top of the box on the front seat so that they could “see out the window.” The owner received an infringement.

“The owner didn’t understand how dangerous their actions were. They didn’t want to leave the puppies at home alone while they went out to their appointments, but bringing them along and leaving them in the car was nearly a death sentence,” Jason says.

“We urge dog owners to either leave their pets safely at home, or with friends or whānau. It’s not safe to leave them in a car – even for a few minutes.”