Heat protection for dogs: Acting correctly when a car is overheating without legal consequences
When dogs are left behind in a sun-exposed car during the warm season, they face the risk of heat death within a very short time. Within minutes, the temperature inside the vehicle can rise to as high as 60 °C. These are the points that attentive bystanders must bear in mind from a legal perspective if they wish to free dogs on their own initiative.
As a rule of thumb: under direct sunlight, the interior of a vehicle heats up by one degree per minute – even at an outside temperature of 30 °C, values of up to 60 °C can be reached within a short time.
Even open windows make little difference. The limited air space and lack of air circulation inside the car make it impossible for the animal to release heat through panting. As heat stress progresses, death from circulatory failure can occur. Every year, around a dozen dog owners are convicted for leaving dogs in an overheated car, in some cases facing fines of several hundred to over a thousand francs.
Correct procedure
The following principles should always be observed during a rescue operation – this way, bystanders have nothing to fear from a legal standpoint:
- If you are in a shopping centre, immediately have the licence plate number announced over the intercom in order to locate the owner of the dog and the car as quickly as possible.
- If the owner cannot be found, immediately alert the police and a veterinarian.
- Only break the window if the police do not arrive in time or do not arrive at all – or if you can see that an emergency situation exists.
- Warning signs include increased panting and drooling, jumping around inside the vehicle, scratching at windows and doors, loud yelping or whimpering, as well as vomiting, lethargy, apathy, and loss of consciousness.
- Place the freed dog in the shade, keep the airways and throat clear, moisten the body and legs with wet, cool cloths, wet the oral cavity with cold water. Leave further treatment to the veterinarian.
- For your own protection, create a record of the course of events, confirmed by additional eyewitnesses and supplemented by mobile phone photos or videos. Pet owners who are upset about the rescue operation could claim compensation for the damaged car window.
