A dog’s been taken to a vet in Swindon after being found in a hot van this morning.
Police officers were called to Commercial Road in the town centre at 11.30am, following reports of a dog ‘looking distressed’ inside a van parked on the pavement.
“The dog was taken to the vets to be checked over and has since been returned to its owner, who has been given words of advice”, a Wiltshire Police spokesperson said.
Just after this incident, police were contacted by a member of the public concerned about the welfare of a dog, which was ‘panting heavily’ while it was locked in a van in the Malmesbury Primary Care Centre car park. The vehicle left the area before officers arrived.
Today, Wiltshire Police has issued advice on dogs being left in hot cars.
“It is not advisable to leave any animal locked in a car during warm weather, a car can become as hot as an oven very quickly, even when it doesn’t feel that warm outside. The RSPCA estimate that in 22 degree weather, a car can reach an unbearable 47 degrees within an hour.
“If you come across a dog in a car during warm weather, and you’re concerned that the dog appears uncomfortable you should call police on 101 to report it. If the dog is in clear distress then call us on 999.
“It is best to leave any physical intervention to a police officer, but if police cannot get there in time, you have to decide if you should take action yourself.
“You can break into a car to rescue an animal but you must be able to justify your actions: where possible, take images / video footage, and round up as many people passing by to support you as witnesses.
“Call police on 999 and tell us what you intend to do and why, provide the location, vehicle registration number, a description of the dog and the names and numbers of witnesses to the incident. Do not take action unless you are certain you are justified and defensible in court.”
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