A dog was left in the boot of a car on the hottest day of the year so far outside a KFC restaurant in Southport.
Distressed passers-by shared a photograph on Facebook of the poor creature trapped inside a car at Southport's Eastbank Street KFC yesterday, as temperatures soared to around 30 degrees across much of the UK.
They wrote: "Anyone near KFC town! Dog in the car in the sun, looks too hot to be there?"
More than 100 people commented on the photo, asking after the dog's safety and raising their concerns that this still goes on, despite repeated and visible warnings that dogs can suffer terribly if left in vehicles on hot days.
The Liverpool Echo reported that the dog was later rescued by a member of the public.
Another Facebook commenter wrote: "Yes he's ok they're giving him lots of water. Massive well done to the man who got him out without smashing the car up. X"
It is not known whether the RSPCA attended the scene.
If yesterday was hot, today seems set to be even hotter, with temperatures a good few degrees above 30 across large swathes of the country.
So, that makes it even more important to avoid leaving pets - or children, or anything living, really - inside hot cars on these sort of days.
A statement on the RSPCA website reads: "Never leave your dog alone in a car on a warm day. If you see a dog in distress in a hot car, dial 999.
"Many people still believe that it's OK to leave a dog in a car on a warm day if the windows are left open or they're parked in the shade, but the truth is, it's still a very dangerous situation for the dog.
"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."
A spokesperson added: "In an emergency, we may not be able to attend quickly enough, and with no powers of entry, we'd need police assistance at such an incident.
"Don't be afraid to dial 999, the police will inform us if animal welfare assistance is required.
"Establish the animal's health and condition. If they're displaying any signs of heatstroke dial 999 immediately.
"If the situation becomes critical for the dog and the police are too far away or unable to attend, many people's instinct will be to break into the car to free the dog.
"If you decide to do this, please be aware that without proper justification, this could be classed as criminal damage and, potentially, you may need to defend your actions in court."
"Make sure you tell the police what you intend to do and why. Take pictures or videos of the dog and the names and numbers of witnesses to the incident.
"The law states that you have a lawful excuse to commit damage if you believe that the owner of the property that you damage would consent to the damage if they knew the circumstances (section 5(2)(a) Criminal Damage Act 1971).
"Once removed, if the dog is displaying signs of heatstroke, follow our emergency first aid advice. This could mean the difference between life and death for the dog."
To find out more about this, check out the further advice on the RSPCA website.
Featured Image Credit: FacebookTopics: UK News, Animals, Cars