What to do if you see an animal locked inside a hot car
Police must be present if a window of a vehicle is smashed as the owner can make a case of damage to property against the witness.
With temperatures expected to reach scorching levels next week, a parked vehicle is no place for an animal.
According to the South African Weather Service, Tuesday may see temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius.
Liezil Kruger from the Springs SPCA explains what happens to an animal when it is locked inside a vehicle in the heat.
“What people have to remember is that the temperature inside a car is double that of the temperature outside, dogs can dehydrate and die in a matter of minutes.
“It’s a very difficult situation, people usually phone the SPCA when they come across an animal in a locked vehicle,” she says.
It is crucial for a witnesses to take immediate action when confronted with such a situation.
If the car is parked at a shopping centre, Liezil advises the witness to rush to management so that an announcement to locate the owner can be made.
The witness should then return to the vehicle and wait for the owner.
Spokesman for Springs police, Capt Johannes Ramphora, says witnesses must contact the police immediately, as well as the SPCA and Emergency Services.
“It is against the law to leave an animal or child in a locked vehicle and the guilty party will be punished.
“When the police arrive, they will establish whether it is a life or death situation and depending on their findings, can break open the window and remove the animal,” he says.
According to Ramphora, a case can be opened against the owner of the vehicle for neglect or abuse.
