Why You Should Never Leave Your Pup In A Car

Hi 4 Paws Outdoors friends!

Summer is here and its a good time to remind ourselves about the dangers of leaving our pups in cars.

The RSPCA advice is that a pup can easily die in as little time as 6 minutes, when left alone in a car.

Even on mild days, temperatures in a car can rapidly heat up to reach more than double the outside temperature. When it’s 22 degrees Celsius outside, the inside of a car can reach a stifling 47 degrees Celsius. This is no environment for a dog.

Every summer, RSPCA NSW receives hundreds of calls from concerned people who have found animals left in hot cars. It is still a common belief that it is fine to leave a dog in a car if they’ve parked in the shade, or if the windows are tinted/rolled down. No matter the weather or location, it is still a very dangerous situation for any dog.

Symptoms of heat stress in dogs include panting, drooling and restlessness. Over time, they can become weak and their gum colour can change. They may also begin to stagger and experience vomiting, diarrhoea or seizures.

Because dogs cool themselves through panting, they are particularly at risk in a hot car. If the air around them is too hot and there is no access to cool water, dogs cannot lower their body temperature back to where it should be.