Nottinghamshire Police officers smashed the window of a parked car in order to rescue a distressed dog from overheating. The force were called to the Wilkinson Street park and ride site, off Nottingham’s ring road, on Monday (August 8) after NET Tram staff spotted the dehydrated canine.
The small black Shih Tzu was barking and panting inside a locked car, which had its windows slightly open - but not enough to prevent the dog collapsing. Police arrived just in time to save his life, smashing the car window before giving the dog water and rushing to a vet.
The dog is now making a good recovery and the owner has been invited to attend a police interview. The case is also to be referred to the RSPCA.
With temperatures set to reach more than 30C in Nottinghamshire this week, police reminded dog owners that they should never leave their pets in hot cars - even if the window is slightly open. PC Jamie Martin, of the Broxtowe response team, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank staff at NET Nottingham Tram for alerting us to incident. Had they not done so, it is unlikely the dog would have survived.
"Many people think it's OK to leave their dog in the car on a warm day providing the windows are open. But this incident shows that just simply isn’t the case. Put simply, you should never leave your dog alone in a car on a warm day. Whilst it is not illegal to leave a dog in a hot car, owners are legally responsible for their pet’s health and welfare.
“If a dog became ill or sadly died due to being left in a hot car, owners could be charged with the offence of animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.“This could lead to a prison sentence and/or a fine."
According to the RSPCA, cars can become as hot as an oven, even when the weather doesn't feel that warm. The charity says that when it's 22C outside, the car could reach 47C within an hour.
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