Animal advocate Tania Thomson said she wasn't sure of her rights when trying to decide whether to break open the window of a hot car with a dog inside. Photo / File
Animal advocate Tania Thomson said she wasn't sure of her rights when trying to decide whether to break open the window of a hot car with a dog inside. Photo / File
A Napier woman was left stunned after being told not to break the window of a parked car which had a dog sitting in it as temperatures outside neared 30C.
Tania Thomson was just leaving the Napier PAK'nSAVE after 5pm on Thursday when she heard a dog barking from inside a car.
While the windows were cracked open, temperatures outside the car were nearing 30C at 29C.
"When I had a look she wasn't distressed. She was panting, but still moving around."
A "huge animal advocate", Thomson decided to keep an eye out until the owner returned.
After about 40 minutes with no sign of them she called the SPCA who said there were no inspectors available and to try police instead, who had already been called twice about the same dog.
Just as she was considering whether to break the window, the owner arrived - the two had a chat and the owner left.
"Sometimes you get caught up – you could be racing out to get milk and then get talking to someone you know."
Thomson said she hesitated as she "wasn't aware of [her] rights" and had her son with her.
She was surprised by the response from the authorities, though.
Both police and SPCA advise people not to break a window as it poses a risk to both people and the animal.
It can also lead to altercations between owners, as evident when police were called to an altercation in the Kmart Hastings carpark on Friday afternoon over reports of another dog in a hot car.
Temperatures in Hawke's Bay hit above 30C for three straight days this week. Photo / File
SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen said on warm days, the inside of cars can heat up very quickly and if left inside, dogs can suffer irreparable brain damage and even death.
"A dark coloured car, parked in full sun on a 22C day can reach an internal temperature of 40C after just 10 minutes.
"Opening the windows slightly has very little effect.
"It's imperative that people don't leave dogs unattended in a car at any time of the day and if the purpose of the trip is not to take your dog somewhere, please leave your dog at home."
She said SPCA inspectors had seen an increase in dogs left in hot cars in Hawke's Bay as temperatures start to rise.
The AA can also be called upon to jobs involving children or pets locked inside a vehicle.
Two road service officers arrive at the scene free, regardless of whether the person is an AA Member or not.
If the situation is deemed to be serious, the AA calls the fire service in case there is a delay in arrival.
AA Roadside solutions general manager Bashir Khan agreed there was a common misconception that cracking windows or parking in the shade was acceptable.
"On a 30C day, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 39C in less than five minutes; in 30 minutes, it will be 49C.
"This occurs even if the vehicle is parked in the shade with the windows down."
