Dogs die in hot cars. If you love them, don't leave them.

Every year, our Inspectors receive hundreds of welfare calls about dogs that have been left inside hot cars. Over the last summer, these calls accounted for approximately 11% of all welfare calls made to SPCA. Sadly, the message around the dangers of leaving your animals inside cars doesn’t seem to be sinking in.

Dogs rely on panting to regulate their body temperature and to keep cool. This isn’t possible inside of a warm car, where on a warm day, a car can heat up to over 50 degrees Celsius in less than 15 minutes.

Parking in the shade and cracking the windows does very little to help.

In these high temperatures, dogs can quickly suffer from heatstroke. Heatstroke is a serious condition for dogs, and can lead them to suffer brain damage, organ failure, or death – there is a with a mortality rate of 39%-50%.

It is an offence under the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018 to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. This can include:

• Excessive panting;
• Drooling or hyperventilating;
• Shade-seeking behaviour.

The dog owner and owner of the vehicle can be fined $300, and if the dog’s welfare is significantly impacted, you could be prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

If you’re ever unsure of whether your destination allows dogs (for example, visiting the shops, a beach, or park), leave your dog safely at home.

If you find a dog in a hot car, act immediately. Call SPCA on 0800 SPCA NZ, or the Police.

SPCA has created downloadable resources highlighting the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars, including a poster, flyer and social media tile. The professional print files below include crop and bleed marks for larger scale and professional print services.

We encourage individuals and businesses to download and use these resources, to help us spread the message.