Dramatic moment dogs rescued from 167F car as RSPCA warns of summer of hell for pets

Animal welfare workers say they are preparing for a peak in calls about animals suffering in soaring temperatures – after receiving 2,065 emergency hot pet calls last month.

Sweltering July weather threatens to keep RSPCA inspectors on full alert as this month is the time when its emergency call-handlers receive the highest number of alerts.

Although most warnings to the charity’s hotline relate to dogs left in cars, vans and caravans, the emergency teams also hear from worried callers about cats, farm animals, caged birds, horses and even aquarium fish.

Despite this year’s high profile campaign with its Dogs Die in Hot Cars warning, the message is still failing to get through to thousands of animal owners.

Today the RSPCA is naming and shaming the areas where people are still putting their pets in peril, with owners in Greater London, Hampshire and Kent the worst culprits.

The charity said in a statement: “The RSPCA is poised for a huge increase in the number of calls to its emergency hotline as more hot weather arrives this July – the worst month for incidents of dogs being left in hot cars.”

This summer the RSPCA and other welfare charities have been highlighting the dangers of leaving an animal in cars and conservatories, supporting its “take extra care” advice with a hard hitting video from a contrite owner whose three dogs perished last summer. 

Campaigners are also encouraging owners to give their pets access to water and shade and avoid exercising animals in the hottest part of the day.

The RSPCA said: “Despite this advice, the UK’s oldest and largest animal welfare charity continues to receive thousands of calls every year about incidents of animals shut in confined spaces in the warm weather. 

“In a bid to get the message out to more people, the RSPCA is revealing the country’s worst areas based on numbers of calls in 2016.”

As the figures were being released, video footage filmed by police in Roswell, Georgia, emerged showing two dogs being rescued from a vehicle in the city’s theatre car park.

The scenes shot from body-cameras show one officer taking the astonishing reading and declaring: “One hundred and sixty-seven on the front seat, buddy. 

“This dog has been in here for more than an hour.”

Footage shows the small grey and white dog barking and yelping as an officer thanks the woman who made the emergency call, with him promising his commitment to save the pet.

Only when police get inside the vehicle do they discover a second dog languishing in the sweltering heat.

With one of animals brought out using a dangerous dog control pole, both animals are finally seen getting cooled down with water from a fire hydrant.

The police video says the dogs were later taken to an emergency animal hospital for treatment before being discharged in good health. 

They were later seized as “evidence” while the owner was charged with two counts of animal cruelty.

CALLS TO RSPCA EMERGENCY HOTLINE IN ENGLAND: 

    • Greater London – 507 calls

    • Hampshire – 335 calls

    • Kent – 313 calls

    • Greater Manchester – 253 calls

    • Essex – 247 calls

    • Devon – 229 calls

    • Surrey – 199 calls

    • West Midlands – 198 calls

    • Somerset – 196 calls

    • West Yorkshire – 195 calls

    • Merseyside – 161 calls

    • Norfolk – 161 calls

    • Lancashire – 157 calls

    • Hertfordshire – 153 calls

    • Dorset – 151 calls

    • West Sussex – 148 calls

    • North Yorkshire – 147 calls

    • Lincolnshire – 142 calls

    • Derbyshire – 141 calls

    • Suffolk – 138 calls

    • East sussex – 133 calls

    • Tyne & Wear – 129 calls

    • Staffordshire – 128 calls

    • Cornwall – 120 calls

    • Gloucestershire – 119 calls

    • South Yorkshire – 118 calls

    • Cambridgeshire – 113 calls

    • Cheshire – 110 calls

    • Berkshire – 107 calls

    • Buckinghamshire – 103 calls

    • Northamptonshire – 101 calls

    • Oxfordshire – 101 calls

    • Nottinghamshire – 96 calls

    • Leicestershire – 91 calls

    • East Yorkshire – 89 calls

    • Bristol – 81 calls

    • County Durham – 80 calls

    • Bedfordshire – 66 calls

    • Wiltshire – 66 calls

    • Worcestershire – 63 calls

    • Warwickshire – 62 calls

    • Cumbria – 59 calls

    • Shropshire – 46 calls

    • Northumberland – 35 calls

    • Isle of Wight – 35 calls

    • Herefordshire – 14 calls

    • Rutland – 7 calls