A pair of dog owners are facing charges of negligence after two dogs were rescued from a boiling car in York on Monday.
Police saw the pups struggling in a vehicle parked outside York Hospital on a scorching hot day.
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The police were able to break the windows of the car and then call the RSPCA to help save the dogs, who were panting heavily in an attempt to cool themselves down.
The outside temperature was 27C in York, but that can multiply quickly when magnified through the car windows and glass, causing extreme discomfort for the animals inside - even at 22C outdoors, temperatures inside a car can approach 50C.
It was the hottest day of the year so far in York and animal welfare charities had been active in the build-up to the anticipated heatwave by publicising the potential dangers to animals when they are left for even a short time in hot cars.
The RSPCA is now pushing for a prosecution of the owners after they left their dogs for half an hour in the extreme heat.
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"#PC1810 and PCSO 3680 have just rescued two dogs from a vehicle where the owners had left them for over half an hour in a car in the blazing hot sun," tweeted North Yorkshire Police, who rescued the dogs.
"The window was smashed and the owners will be prosecuted by @RSPCAYORK. There is no excuse for this, I am utterly appalled.
They later followed up those tweets with a third that warned against the dangers of keeping dogs in hot cars.
"Officers were in that car for thirty seconds and were struggling to breathe so goodness knows what these poor animals were going through. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A HOT CAR ON A SUNNY DAY! How many warnings do you need? @RSPCAYORK thank you for your prompt attendance."
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An RSPCA spokesperson added: "A car can become as hot as an oven very quickly, even when it doesn't feel that warm.
"When it's 22 degrees, in a car it can reach an unbearable 47 degrees within the hour."
Peta, the animal welfare charity, give directions to the public on how to deal with dogs in hot cars on sunny days. "Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes," they write.
"Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting."
Featured Image Credit: Triangle NewsTopics: UK News, Animals, Dogs