The SPCA is again warning Coastie dog owners not to leave pets in parked cars this summer.

The reminder follows a recent case in the Wellington region where inspectors found a large crossbreed dog left in a locked car for at least an hour in full sun at just 22°C outside, but far hotter inside.

The dog was panting heavily, drooling and trying to hide in the footwell, all clear signs of heat distress, yet the owner insisted it “was fine” and twice kept the dog in the hot vehicle, earning a $300 infringement and a lesson on the risks.

SPCA says that even on a 21°C day, a car parked in the shade with windows down can climb above 31°C in ten minutes and over 40°C in thirty minutes, with hotter days seeing inside temperatures exceed 50°C and causing brain damage, organ failure or death.

Dogs cannot cool themselves properly in enclosed spaces, and shade or cracked windows do little to help.

SPCA receives hundreds of calls every summer about dogs in hot cars, and “You wouldn’t leave a child in a hot car,” says SPCA’s Todd Westwood.

“Please do the same for your furry family members.”

If you cannot take your dog with you into shops, SPCA suggests cooler early or late trips, leaving them at home in the shade, or asking friends or family for help, and locals might see more people speaking up when a dog looks in trouble.

If you see a dog in distress inside a vehicle, call SPCA on 0800 SPCA NZ or contact Police immediately, and do not try to break a window yourself.

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