Drivers who leave pets in cars during heatwave face charges

PET owners who leave their animals in the car during the heatwave could face criminal prosecution, an animal welfare charity has warned.

In recent days inspectors with the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) had to break into a car to rescue a dog that had been lef t there for more than an hour despite the sweltering conditions.

Officials said they were horrified to find that people are still leaving their dogs in parked cars with or without windows open during the heatwave, which can kill them in minutes when temperatures soar to more than 45C.

“Over the past few days the DSPCA had to call out to reports of dogs having been lef t in parked cars for long periods of time. Thankfully on these occasions none of the dogs actually died but that could so easily have not been the case,” the DSPCA said in a statement yesterday.

“One dog in a car with no windows open had reportedly been in the car for over one hour when the call was logged. By the time our inspectors arrived, the dog was visibly in distress and along with the gardaí, a decision was made to break into the car. However the owner showed up just beforehand and this action was, at the last minute, avoided.”

However, a few days later, inspectors were forced to break into a car to rescue a dog that had been lef t for more than an hour.

Pet owners who subject their animals to such conditions could be charged with cruelty under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

Meanwhile, the charity said it had been inundated with calls from concerned citizens about horses in the Greater Dublin Area being tied up with no access to water or shade. The DSPCA responded to more than 30 calls last week.

“Animal owners need to realise the dangers that the hot weather can cause to their pets and other animals,” the DSPCA said.

It advises owners to ensure that all pets have access to fresh water and are kept in the shade when it’s hot and sunny.