Dog owner COMPLAINS about concerned passers-by pouring water into her car to help dog stuck inside in sweltering heat for 25 minutes
- Jason, from Perth, saw a dog overheating in a car while the owner was out
- The concerned man posted a photo to a Facebook group to seek advice
- The owner complained when she returned that he had poured water into the car
- People are advised to leave their pets home on hot days or they could face fines
A dog owner who left their pet panting in a hot car for 25 minutes in sweltering heat complained after a concerned passersby gave it water.
The parched pooch was spotted sitting in the driver’s seat of a Toyota SUV parked outside of a gym in Harrisdale, in Perth’s south east, on Friday.
Shocked onlooker Jason took a photo of the white and tan Staffordshire terrier mix and uploaded it to a local Facebook page to seek advice while he waited at the car for the owner to return.
‘After at least 25 minutes since I saw the dog, the owner came waltzing out of Red Dot with arms full of goods,’ he said.
The dehydrated pet (pictured) was found panting in a car outside of a gym
‘She couldn’t understand the fuss because the windows were slightly down.
‘She then had a whinge that her seat was wet because people had poured water in.’
Another member of the Facebook group had rushed to the scene to help and told Jason to try and get water to the pup.
‘I’m on my way now; make sure you’re giving the dog water from the window,’ they wrote.
Angry commentators quickly condemned the woman’s actions.
‘Does she not know the temps today, why didn’t she just leave the dog home? Stupid,’ one person wrote.
Jason reported the owner to the RSPCA.
The RSPCA advises people to leave their dogs home on very hot days, as leaving the windows down has little effect on reducing the car’s temperature.
Pets can perish from heat stress in as little as six minutes, according to a statement on their website.
The RSPCA advises people to leave their pets at home on very hot days (stock image)
People that see a dog left in a car are urged to contact police immediately.
In Western Australia, owners can face a maximum fine of $50,000 or five years’ jail if their dog is found to suffer harm from being left in a vehicle.
Victorians can be fined up to $75,000 under the Prevention of Cruelty Animals Act and imprisoned for two years, while those in NSW can be sentenced to five years behind bars or ordered to pay $22,000.
The Queensland government, who have the toughest prison penalty with a seven year maximum jail term and $235,000 fine, announced in September that it will strengthen laws so people can be penalised, even if the animal is not harmed.