RSPCA WA has issued an urgent plea to pet owners, after saving the life of a dog left in a hot car on
Saturday.
The rescue mission was just one of 13 calls the animal welfare organisation has received since Friday, most
of them coming from shopping centre carparks.
With a string of mid-to-high 30-degree days forecast and Christmas shopping in full swing, the RSPCA is
bracing for a surge in reports.
On Saturday, as temperatures climbed to over 30C, an RSPCA WA inspector was called to rescue a dog left
in a parked car in East Victoria Park.
The dog had no access to water and was showing signs of distress, so was seized at around 11am and
rushed to a nearby vet for emergency treatment. She will remain in RSPCA WA’s care pending a cruelty
investigation.
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said the decision to leave your pet in the car this week could
quickly turn deadly.
‘Even on a mild day, the temperature inside a parked car can climb to 60C in a very short space of time.
That is too hot for a dog to endure,’ she said.
‘Even the shortest spells can leave them with heatstroke or permanent organ damage. We do not want to
be called out to anymore dogs in heat distress or worse this week.
‘Please leave them at home where there is shade and plenty of fresh water so you know they’ll be safe.’
If you see a dog in a hot car:
1. Identify signs of heatstroke
2. Note down the vehicle’s registration number and location and report it immediately to the RSPCA
Cruelty Hotline on 1300 278 358 (1300 CRUELTY) or call WA Police on 131 444.
3. If you’re at a shopping centre, ask the centre management to page the owner of the vehicle by
reading out the registration details.
4. Keep an eye on the dog until help arrives, but maintain a suitable distance to ensure you don’t
agitate the dog, which could cause further distress, making the dog even hotter.
5. Gather as much evidence as possible (vehicle details, time and date, photos of the dog in the
vehicle).
RSPCA WA is reminding people that it’s an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2002 to cause
unnecessary harm to an animal.
Offenders can be prosecuted and face up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
The RSPCA relies on the community to report incidents of suspected cruelty and neglect. Report cruelty 24/7 on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 358) or at online here.
