There has been a lot of publicity in the last few years and even recently about dogs being left in hot overheating cars in the hot summers, by now most people know that hot cars are a real danger for dogs but there are still some that don’t seem to take the situation seriously enough, or don’t realise how quickly things can change for your pet when you leave them in a car in the sun.

Dogs do not have the ability to sweat in heated conditions  - which means they overheat a lot quicker than humans, along with the dog’s big fur coat; this makes a recipe for disaster on a hot day. As the heat rises outside it can be less than 10 minutes before your dog is screaming to get out of the oven which was the car you left him in. If you think car windows being left slightly open will help your dog and keep them cool - think again. If your car windows are slightly open then there will not be enough fresh air coming in to cool your dog quickly enough.

If you think parking your car in the shade on a hot day will help...think again - it's still hot outside in the shade. It may not be as hot as being in the direct sun but it's hot...which means any enclosed container (the car) will heat up.

When a dog dies from overheating it is a very painful death. If you have to rescue or treat an over heated dog you should cool them down with cool water ( not cold, this could cause to much shock to the system), or use a wet towel and wrap them in it, feed them cool water or a nice ice cube to lick and then proceed to consult a vet about the situation and get a full examination for the dog.

The best advice about leaving your dog in the car on a hot day.

Don't.