DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS

I had second thoughts about approaching this topic. Given the mass of media coverage the two police dogs dying in Nottingham received and the resultant warnings from the Kennel Club and RSPCA, I did not believe I could not add anything new.

I now admit that I was initially ignorant to the full scale of the problem. As the temperature this past week soared and we prepare ourselves for potentially the hottest summer since 2003, it is this ignorance that can cost lives.

The RSPCA stress that on a hot summer day an animal should not be left in a car for even a short stint of time. Devoted owners understandably want their pets, and dogs in particular, to be a part of their day. It may feel wrong to leave them at home but it is better that than unattended in a vehicle. This is not an overly protective stance though, when faced with the cold hard facts.

The charity has witnessed numerous tragedies, which could have been avoided, and are now appealing for common sense to prevail. The case involving the police dogs that died in Nottingham last week was sadly not an isolated incident. Only a couple of weeks previously another two died in the back of a car in Inverness. It is a situation that presents itself every summer and on astounding levels.

A recent episode of Channel 5's 'RSPCA on the Front Line', filmed in 2006, illustrated the sheer extent of the problem. Two inspectors, with the aid of the police, were checking parked cars for animals in distress at the Royal Show near Coventry. With the July sun beating down hard and the event attracting over 140,000 visitors, the RSPCA had their work cut out.

The event had strict guidelines dictating that dogs were not allowed entry and as a result many were left behind in the car park. It is a situation that the then newly recruited staff will have now become accustomed to. In 2005 the RSPCA were reportedly called out to 5500 similar cases.

Armed with a temperature gauge and the right to gain entry to a vehicle should the situation demand it, the RSPCA were able to prevent a number of deaths. Unfortunately the inspectors were unable to save every animal. A somewhat understandable situation, given that the only indications of a potential crisis were open windows and information relayed from others, but one never the less harrowing to witness.

The RSPCA representatives attended a car where the dog had been left for upwards of five hours but were just too late to save it. The owner was rightly chastised and prosecuted for what he admitted was a tragically naive error of judgment. With the sun beating down hard and the outdoor temperature exceeding 30°C, the inside of the car was recorded at 45.5°C when the corpse was recovered. The length of time the dog was left, although incomprehensibly long, may have actually been irrelevant.

It is believed a canine trapped in a parked car in these conditions can die as quickly as six minutes even with a supply of water and an open window. Stationary vehicles become like greenhouses, the sun heats up a mass of air trapped under the glass and the temperature inside increases. Given the intense heat and prolonged sunshine we have recently endured, this process can quickly manifest itself.

A dog suffering from heat stroke will initially show distress usually through panting or barking and whining. By panting, using their tongues to gain moisture, they attempt to cool themselves but in a confined space this will only raise the temperature inside even quicker. Dogs do not sweat and therefore lack our ability to cool down quickly.

As the symptoms progress, the panting becomes excessive and the helpless victim finds it difficult to breathe. Without intervention, the dog will most probably drool excessively and perhaps vomit before finally succumbing to a circulatory collapse. Its gums will appear blue and the dog will either convulse or lose consciousness. Its a horrible situation that can be easily avoided.