WE’RE SORRY IF this video upsets you (perhaps best not to show it to children) but it’s certainly an effective reminder not to leave pets locked in cars this summer.
DogsTrust and AA Ireland are promoting the campaign with this timelapse production:
As well as the obvious message to not leave dogs to die of heat stroke and dehydration in a hot car, the AA says that owners should always take keys with them when they leave the car, even for a second.
“What tends to happen is that owners step out of the car and leave the keys in the ignition, then the dog jumps up on the central locking button,” says AA Patrol’s Dave Costello. “We’ve had emergency callouts where multiple dogs have been locked in. I remember one where six dogs were trapped.
Dogs can also get sunburn, just like humans, and even cracking a window to let in some air is not enough. Renagh Kelly, vet at DogsTrust, says that such counter-measures don’t work. “Just a few minutes in a hot car can prove fatal for a dog,” she says.
And if you do rescue a dog from an overheated car, dampen it down with cool (but not freezing) water or cool wet towels, and bring to a vet.
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