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Wellington SPCA says the death of a dog after it was left in a car for 30 minutes is a warning to pet owners.
Animal Welfare inspector Brett Lahman said the dog, a mixed breed terrier type, died on Monday afternoon after its owner's children shut it in the car at their Porirua home, unaware of the danger.
The owner found it 30 minutes later, unconscious and barely breathing, but despite first aid advice given over the phone and the attempts of SPCA staff it did not survive.
"People need to realise that it only takes as little as 15 minutes in a hot car to kill a dog," he said.
"Leaving the windows open and parking in the shade does little to alleviate the heat build up."
Mr Lahman said the SPCA had been getting five or six calls a day about animals shut in cars during this hot weather spell.
"We certainly aren't saying don't drive your dog to the beach to go for a swim.
"We are just saying don't stop at the shops on the way home."
Wellington SPCA veterinary manager Robert Bird said pets could not regulate the heat like humans, because they did not sweat.
"Leaving a dog in a car is like putting it in an oven.
"When pets overheat like this their vital organs shut down, this poor dog's brain had literally boiled."
SPCA marketing executive Lisa Snow said even on windy days, when it didn't feel hot, people needed to be careful, because the wind would not be enough to stop the car from rapidly heating up.
- NZPA
