The sudden heatwave that hit Europe last week took a dog's life on May 17, after his owner left him alone in a hot car.The incident occurred in Hoensbroek, a small town in the west of the Netherlands. The man exited his vehicle and left him Burmesemountain dog on the back seat, trapped inside.
Source: Dierenpolitie Limburg / Facebook
A passerby noticed that the dog wasn't moving and immediately called for help. A specialist animal rescue unit was deployed and did everything they could to save the animal. They tried to cool him down with wet cloths, but sadly it was too late.The local police explained on their Facebook page that the owner was arrested on his return to the vehicle.Every year when temperatures rise, dogs tragically die from being left trapped in a vehicle.There have already been many cases in the US which have caused great uproar, such asthis dog who was trapped in the boiling heat of a car for hours while his owners went to the shopping mall.Because it doesn’t take much. In just 20 minutes, even with an open window, the temperature inside a car parked in the sun can reach 56°C – that’s over 130°F.
Source: @SitStay
According to the situation, it is important to know the right response. If the animal doesn't seem to be in urgent danger, is breathing normally and doesn't seem anxious, call the police immediately and stay close to the vehicle to monitor the situation.However, if the situation seems urgent, the dog is panting or is no longer moving, you may choose to free the dog from the vehicle yourself.It is now legal in many US states to break into a car to save a dog suffering inside.This includes California, Florida, Maine, Ohio and Tennessee. 22 other states have laws which prohibit leaving an animal in an unattended vehicle, but only law enforcement or animal control are allowed to break in.According to UK laws, you may cause damage to the owner’s vehicle if you think he would consent to this damage in the circumstances.To find out more about this topic, you can read this article.
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