Peterborough dog rescued from car in middle of heat wave

Officers were called to Bretton Gate at 2.19pm on Wednesday after reports the animal had been in the vehicle for about half an hour.

A police officer was able to safely get the dog out of the car, with the owner returning a short while later. Officers gave him words of advice.

Another incident was reported at Tesco in March at 10.30am yesterday.

A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: “Supermarket staff were able to issue a tannoy announcement and the owner of the dog then returned to the car, but was verbally abusive to the woman who had expressed concern.”

Cambridgeshire police said: “The most common kind of animal cruelty is dogs being left in vehicles. Every year dogs suffer or die when owners leave them in a parked car.

“Leaving a dog in a vehicle can be harmful to your dog’s health. For example, if it’s 22 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can reach 47 degrees within 60 minutes, which can sadly result in a dog dying.

“Being in the heat is tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paw pads. In hot stuffy cars dogs can’t cool down and leaving a window open or a sunshield on windscreens often does not keep your car cool enough.

“Signs of a dog in distress can include heavy panting, salivation, a rapid pulse, very red gums and tongue, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhoea and lack of coordination.

“We’re committed to taking firm action in cases where an animal may be suffering. Under the Animal Welfare Act, the Criminal Law Act and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, we are authorised to rescue an animal that is not being looked after adequately.

“If you see a dog left in a car and it’s beginning to look distressed, we recommend you call 101 to alert an officer and attempt to locate the owner.

“If the dog appears to be getting close to life or death, call us on 999 to report this urgently.”