Halifax: Leave your dog at home

Pet insurance provider Halifax has warned dog-owners that the easiest way of keeping their pet safe in the heat is to simply leave it at home when they go out in their car, avoiding the need to leave it in the vehicle.

Hot cars can be “death traps” for dogs, Halifax warns, and calls on members of the public to keep an eye out for any animals inside a vehicle.

According to the bank’s figures, 18.3 million Brits witness pets shut in cars on hot days and 1.5 million of these make an attempt to rescue the animal.

Some 5.3 million people did nothing to help the animal, however, while 5.1 million said they tried to find the owner, 3.4 million alerted the RSPCA and 2.6 million reported it to the police.

Mathew Long, senior products manager at Halifax pet insurance, said: “First and foremost prevention is better than cure. Under no circumstances is it acceptable to leave a pet unattended inside a car on a warm or even mild day.

“Anyone that sees an animal suffering inside a hot car should phone both the RSPCA and the police immediately. It might take time for them to arrive so it is important to try and find the owner as well – for example using the tannoy system in a supermarket.”

There are measures in place to punish irresponsible animal owners and those found guilty of causing suffering to an animal can face up to £5,000 or six months in prison.