Even at 20 degrees Celsius outside, cars can become heat traps.
A heated car is a frequently underestimated danger: Just a quick trip to the supermarket while the dog waits in the vehicle? This can now become dangerous. Especially when a car is parked in the sun, the temperatures inside can quickly double. Dogs are helpless against the heat in a closed car and cannot counteract it just by panting.
Even at a mild 20 degrees outside, a car can reach around 36 degrees after 30 minutes. At 28 degrees, the interior is already at 44 degrees. And on hot days like now, at 32 degrees, the temperature inside the car climbs to almost 50 degrees after half an hour. 'Even after a few minutes, a dog can suffer from heat shock, and the car can become a death trap. It's very important: Just leaving the window open a crack will not prevent a heat buildup,' says Janine Cirini, pet campaigner at VIER PFOTEN Switzerland.
Dog in distress: Life takes precedence over property.
If you discover a dog in an obviously overheated car, you are allowed and should intervene to free the animal from its dangerous situation. First, check if the owner is nearby. If not, the police or fire brigade should be alerted. They are authorised to break the car window to rescue the dog.
If the dog's condition worsens until the police or fire brigade arrive and the animal is at risk of suffering from heatstroke, every minute counts: Then breaking the window is the only remaining life-saving option. 'It's best to briefly document the situation beforehand, take pictures or a video, and ideally involve other eyewitnesses,' advises the expert. Once the dog is freed, it should be taken to the shade and cooled gently and slowly or directly taken to a vet, depending on the condition of the animal.
Photos
Photos are free to use. They may only be used to report on this press release. For this reporting, a simple (non-exclusive, non-transferable) and non- assignable licence is granted. Any future reuse of the photos is only permitted with prior written consent from VIER PFOTEN.
Media contact:
Chantal Häberling, Communication Switzerland
VIER PFOTEN - Foundation for Animal Welfare
Altstetterstrasse 124
8048 Zurich
Tel. +41 43 311 80 90
presse@vier-pfoten.ch
www.vier-pfoten.ch