Dogs can't cool down in the same way humans can, so leaving a window open or parking in the shade will not keep the car cool enough.

Dogs die in hot cars advert based on real-life tragedy

A coalition of animal welfare charities and the police have launched a hard hitting campaign warning people of the devastating consequences of leaving dogs in hot cars.

The organisations include the BVA, RSPCA, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Blue Cross, The Mayhew Animal Home, PDSA, Wood Green and the National Animal Welfare Trust.

For the campaign, the organisations have recreated a harrowing real life incident, where a couple who had been shopping return to their car to find that their dog had died from the heat.

“Nobody ever thinks it’s going to happen to them or their much loved dog, yet every year many people still gamble with dog’s lives and every summer dogs die in hot cars,” says RSPCA campaigner Violet Owens.

“Many people still believe that it’s ok to leave a dog in a car on a warm day if the windows are left open or they are parked in the shade, but the truth is, it’s still a very dangerous situation for the dog.

“While not every dog who is put in this position will die, they are likely at the very least to experience distress, discomfort and anxiety.

“Just put yourself in their position and ask yourself how you’d feel about being trapped in a hot car, how unpleasant and frightening it would be.”

In the BVA's Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey, almost half of all vets questioned had treated animals for conditions related to hot weather during summer 2014 - the majority of which were dogs.

The RSPCA and the police also receive thousands of calls each year concerning dogs trapped inside cars in warm days.

Cars can become unbearably hot on a sunny day. While it could be 22 degrees outside, a car can reach a sweltering 47 degrees in just an hour.  Dogs can't cool down in the same way humans can, so leaving a window open or parking in the shade will not keep the car cool enough and dogs may still suffer.

Under the Animal Welfare Act, owners have a duty of care towards their animals to protect their welfare needs and prevent suffering which includes not exposing them to extremes of temperature. If a dog is left in a car on a warm day and suffers, the owners could be at risk of prosecution.

The campaign is fully supported by the National Police Chiefs Council. Chief Constable Gareth Wilson - the NPCC's national lead for police dogs - said: "NPCC wholeheartedly support this campaign. Causing unnecessary offering to an animal is an offence and the police take this issue very seriously."