Dog rescued from locked car
A dog was locked in a car for almost two hours before it was rescued by concerned shoppers.
A SMALL dog was locked in a scorching hot car at a Kloof shopping mall for almost two hours before shoppers were able to save it.
Last week Kloof and Highway SPCA inspectors responded to a all for help. “On arrival at the Fields Shopping Centre we found a large crowd of very angry people surrounding a vehicle.
“A male, tan Dachshund had been locked in the vehicle. According to reports from bystanders, the dog had been locked in the car for approximately one hour and 45 minutes,” said the SPCA’s Barbara Laubscher.
The temperature inside the car was extremely hot. The dog was hyperaemic (excessive accumulation of blood to a part of the body) and was also panting. The weather had turned and was starting to cool down.
“We contacted a local locksmith who was on his way to the centre when a member of the public managed to open the vehicle. The dog was removed and a seizure notice was left in the vehicle to inform the owner.
“The dog was taken straight to the SPCA and a full examination was performed by the clinic. The owners came into the SPCA to claim the dog and were made to understand the severity of their actions, and were remorseful and apologetic,” Laubscher added.
The temperature in a parked car, even in the shade with the windows partly open, can rapidly reach a level that will seriously harm or even kill a pet.
Dogs (and cats) cool themselves by panting and by releasing heat through their paws. On summer days the air and
upholstery in your vehicle can heat up to high temperatures that make it impossible for pets to cool themselves.
“Thank you to all of the concerned members of the public who took the time to report this incident,” she concluded.
