Why locking your pet dog in the car is not a great idea

Just as it is for humans, summer is a testing time for canines too. Concerned pet owners often alert the RSPCA at this time of year, after animals have been locked or left in hot cars. Often, people make the misconception of thinking a quick errand into the shops can be harmless and that leaving a pet in the car for a few minutes is unlikely to cause any harm. But, you pick up a conversation with a friend and it is a good 30 minutes before you return to your vehicle. About six minutes, or perhaps even less, is what it takes for a canine or other animal to die from extreme heat and exhaustion inside a car.

The Metropolitan Ambulance Service in Melbourne conducted some tests and found that, even when the interior of the car was a cool 20 degrees, in about 10 minutes, the temperature rose to as much as 44 degrees—despite the external temperature hovering around 29 degrees. Another 10 minutes later, the temperature rose further to a lethal 60 plus degrees. This shows how quickly time can change the temperature and leading to catastrophic results for our beloved pets.