Heartbreaking moment police smash campervan window to rescue Golden Labrador which was ‘locked inside a campervan with windows closed for three days’
Heartbreaking moment police smash camper window to save Golden Labrador who was ‘trapped for three days in a camper with the windows closed’
- Police attended a call after concerns were raised about the dog’s welfare
- Reports suggested that no windows were open on the vehicle after it was parked
- DO YOU KNOW THE DOG OWNERS? E-mail dan.woodland@mailonline.co.uk
A Golden Labrador was reportedly locked in a motorhome for three days before police smashed a window to rescue him.
Greater Manchester Police officers attended a call at around 1.15pm on Sunday after concerns were raised about the welfare of the dog trapped in the vehicle.
Reports suggested no windows were open and no people had been seen in or around the van since it was left behind.
Temperatures in parts of Manchester rose to 23°C on Sunday, according to the Met Office.
Officers on the scene broke the camper’s window to save the dog, who is now being cared for at a shelter while efforts are made to track down the owners.
DO YOU KNOW THE DOG OWNERS? E-mail dan.woodland@mailonline.co.uk
A Golden Labrador was reportedly locked in a motorhome for three days before police smashed a window to rescue him
Police were on a call around 1:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon after concerns were raised about the welfare of a dog in a vehicle that had reportedly been parked for three days
Reports suggested no windows were open and no people had been seen in or around the van since it was left behind
Chris Boyd, superintendent of neighborhoods at CoM Central, said: ‘It’s just not acceptable to leave a dog alone in a vehicle for even a few hours, let alone three days.
“When we found him there were no open windows and as it was quite warm today this could have been a disaster.
“Dogs don’t respond to heat like humans do, which is why this sweet dog may have overheated.
“Leaving even a window open or a bowl of water isn’t good enough. Just don’t leave your dog alone in a vehicle.
“If you plan on being away from your vehicle, don’t take the risk and leave your dog at home.”
Scientists have previously warned that leaving dogs in parked cars can be dangerous year-round, even in winter when outside temperatures are relatively low.
Dog welfare experts at Nottingham Trent University have been checking the internal temperatures of UK cars every day for two years, with no dogs in them, according to 2020 reports.
They found temperatures in excess of 25°C in any month of the year – high enough to cause overheating in flat-faced breeds such as bulldogs and pugs.
Annual campaigns highlighting the risk of dogs dying in hot cars usually start in May, but should start earlier in the year, they said.
Between 2010 and 2019, the RSPCA received nearly 70,000 calls about animals and heat exposure, most of which involved dogs in hot cars.
Just 20 minutes in an overheated car can cause heat stroke, killing one in seven dogs diagnosed with the condition.
Most dogs feel comfortable in temperatures between 20°C and 20°C, but this depends on breed, coat length, fitness and other factors, the researchers said.
Dogs should never be left alone in cars, as being trapped in the stifling heat for even a few minutes can be fatal.