Heartbreaking moment: Police smash RV windows to rescue Golden Labrador, who was ‘locked in an RV for three days with the windows closed’
- Police attended a call after concerns were raised about the dog’s welfare
- According to reports, no windows were open after the vehicle was parked
- Do you know the dog’s owner? Email [email protected]
A golden labrador reportedly remained locked in an RV for three days before police smashed a window to rescue him.
Greater Manchester Police officers attended a call around 1.15pm on Sunday afternoon after concerns were raised about the welfare of the dog trapped in the vehicle.
No windows were reportedly open and no one has been seen in or around the van since exiting the van.
Temperatures reached as high as 23C in parts of Manchester on Sunday, according to the Met Office.
Officials at the scene smashed the RV’s window to save the dog, who is now being cared for at a rescue center while attempts are made to trace the owners.
Do you know the dog’s owner? Email [email protected]
A golden labrador reportedly remained locked in an RV for three days before police smashed a window to rescue him
Police attended a call around 1.15pm Sunday afternoon after concerns were raised about the welfare of a dog in a vehicle that had reportedly been parked for three days
No windows were reportedly open and no one has been seen in or around the van since exiting the van
Chris Boyd, chief inspector for neighborhoods at CoM Central, said: “It is simply not acceptable to allow a dog to be alone in a vehicle for even a few hours, let alone three days.”
What to do if you see a dog in the car on a warning day
First, assess the condition of the dog. If they show signs of heat stroke, call 999 immediately.
If the dog’s condition is critical and the police haven’t arrived yet, you’ll instinctively break into the car to free him. However, please note that this may be classified as criminal damage. You may have to defend your claims in court. So make sure you’re doing the right thing. Legally, you can commit damages if you think the car owner would agree to it if they knew the dog was in danger.
When you are sure you need to free the dog, tell the police what you intend to do and why. Take photos or videos of the dog. Are there other witnesses? Write down their names and phone numbers.
Don’t be afraid to dial 999. In an emergency, we may not be able to reach you – and the dog – quickly enough. And since we don’t have permission to enter, we would have to ask the police to help us rescue the dog. Don’t worry – the police will let us know soon if the dog needs our help.
What to do when the dog is free
Check to see if the dog is showing signs of heat stroke or is in distress. If this is the case, immediately follow our emergency first aid advice. This could mean the difference between life and death for the dog.
Source: rspca.org.uk
“When we found him there were no open windows and as it was quite warm today it could have been a disaster.”
“Dogs don’t respond to heat the way humans do, and that’s why this beautiful canine could be overheated.”
“Even an open window or a bowl of water will not do.” Just don’t leave your dog alone in a vehicle.
“If you’re planning on staying away from your vehicle, then don’t take chances and leave your dog at home.”
Scientists have already warned that leaving dogs in parked cars can be dangerous year-round, even in winter when outside temperatures are relatively cold.
Dog welfare experts from Nottingham Trent University monitored the inside temperatures of cars in the UK that didn’t have dogs in them every day for two years, according to reports in 2020.
They found that temperatures exceeded 77°F (25°C) every month of the year — high enough to cause overheating in flat-faced breeds like bulldogs and pugs.
Annual campaigns raising awareness of the risk of dogs dying in hot cars usually start in May but need to 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 them related to dogs in hot cars.
Just 20 minutes in a hot car can trigger heat stroke, killing one in seven dogs diagnosed with the disease.
Most dogs are comfortable in temperatures between 15 and 25°C, but this depends on breed, coat length, fitness level and other factors, the researchers said.
Dogs should never be left alone in a car, as just a few minutes in the sweltering heat can be deadly.