Animal Rescue with Marion Garnet
THE speed of acceleration is an important aspect of the thrill of a theme park. Visiting Thorpe Park yesterday on the hottest day of the year (34°C) wasn’t the most comfortable of days but, with advance tickets bought, it had to be done.
One of Thorpe Park’s key attractions, Stealth, is the UK’s fastest roller coaster which accelerates from 0-80mph in under two seconds, firing riders 205 feet into the air.
But Stealth wasn’t the only thing to accelerate quickly at Thorpe Park that day. Returning to the car for a forgotten item, shortly after parking, it was already as hot as another ride, Nemesis Inferno.
According to the RSPCA, if it’s 22°C outside a car, the temperature inside the car can soar quickly to an unbearable 47°C within sixty minutes. Already this year there have been reports of distressed dogs having to be rescued from hot cars.
The clear message is “Dogs die in hot cars” and this can happen in less than 20 minutes.
If we see a distressed dog in a hot car, the RSPCA advise us to call 999. If the dog is outside a shop we could ask the shop to make an announcement for the car owner. If the situation becomes critical and the police are too far away, many people’s instinct will be to break into the car to free the dog. If we decide to do this, we need to be aware that, without proper justification this could be classed as criminal damage and we may need to defend our actions in court.
We must make sure we tell the police what we intend to do, why and take images of the dog and the names and numbers of witnesses.
The speed of acceleration by Budweiser when he spotted the cool pond in the water garden at Dogs Trust was rapid, instantly propelling himself three feet into the air, like a Stealth aircraft, to clear the fence surrounding it.
Budweiser loves people and knows several commands. He’s looking for experienced owners who are confident socialising him.
If you are interested in homing this gorgeous energetic boy who enjoys a cuddle, see dogstrust. org.uk or meet him at Dogs Trust, Harvil Road, Uxbridge.
■ If you’re quick, you’ve still got time to go to the National Animal Welfare Trust’s Family Fun Dog Show and barbecue this Saturday, July 13 (11am-3pm) at their rehoming Centre, Tylers Way, Watford By Pass. You can also look round the animals. Details from nawt.org.uk.