Muzzled dog rescued from car after being left in 31C heat for two hours in King’s Lynn

The brown and white greyhound-cross was rescued from a car after he was left in 31C heat for almost two hours. Picture: Emily Astillberry Emily Astillberry

A muzzled dog had to be rescued from a car after it was left in 31C heat for almost two hours.

Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in.

The greyhound-cross was left in a Ford Focus with all four windows ajar at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital car park, in King’s Lynn, on Friday, July 7.

When RSPCA inspector Emily Astillberry arrived at the car park just after 11am, she noticed a ticket in the car which was valid from 9.25am.

“The car was parked in direct sunlight with all four windows rolled down and the dog tethered inside.” She said.

“What made it even more concerning was that this poor boy had been muzzled.

“Muzzles restrict dogs and can make it much more difficult for them to pant. His body temperature must have been through the roof.”

She placed a thermometer inside the car, which showed a reading of 31C, while the outside temperature on the day was in the 20s.

Ms Astillberry waited for the owner for 15 minutes and just as she was about to call the police the owner showed up.

“I explained that it was completely unacceptable and was very dangerous for the dog, and gave the owner a strong warning.

“We discussed the dog’s best interests and he signed the dog over.”

The two-year-old brown and white dog was taken into the RSPCA West Norfolk branch and will be available for rehoming.

“He’s a lovely dog and will be rehomed soon. He is really young so will have a nice happy life.” Ms Astillberry said.

Last week, the RSPCA received 597 calls to its emergency hotline with 10 coming from Norfolk.

Ms Astillberry advised dog owners to leave their pets at home if they planned on spending a long time outdoors.

She said pets should not be left in vehicles even if the windows were left open.

She added: “We get called about these incidences more often than we’d like to, and just for silly things, like people taking dogs with them when they go to Tesco and they leave them outside.

“You can be prosecuted if you cause an animal to suffer or leave them in circumstances which is likely to cause them suffering.”

Anyone who notices a dog shut in a hot car in warm weather is advised to call 999.

■ For more information on what to do if you see a dog in a car in distress, visit the RSPCA website.