'These dogs should be respected': Police dog allegedly left in van in 30-degree heat
A Sydney man says he spotted a police dog allegedly abandoned in a hot car for more than an hour.
The pooch was photographed in a parked police van as temperatures soared to 30 degrees on Wednesday.
Adam Semaan, 30, told 7 News Online he heard the canine barking inside the vehicle parked out the front of the Surry Hills Police Station, on Goulburn Street, about 7.20am.
The man, who lives nearby, said it was still there when he returned an hour later.
He took photographs, which show the dog’s head appearing behind an open window at the rear of the van.
He used the app Snapchat to stamp the temperature on one of the images, which appears to have registered 30C.
“I first saw the dog while getting my dry cleaning at 7.20am,” Mr Semaan told 7 News Online.
“I can only guess as to how long the dog was there before I saw it.”
Mr Semaan said he was alerted to the parked vehicle when he heard what sounded like two dogs barking.
“For a dog to do that, with nobody around (to provoke it) it was a cry for help.”
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Mr Semaan said he didn’t get close enough to check if there was more than one dog inside, as he did not want to aggravate the animal further.
“It was still there when I checked, on my way to the bus at 8.15am."
He said the second time he came across the canine, he could see it panting.
“Immediately I thought ‘am I justified in breaking the window to get the dog out the car?’,” said Mr Semaan.
The passerby decided against approaching the van to take action, as he didn’t want to damage police property.
“If anyone attacks a police dog they are charged with assaulting an officer. These dogs should be respected more than that,” Mr Semaan said.
NSW Police told 7 News Online in a statement that the welfare of its police dogs was "paramount" and dog unit vehicles were designed to ensure their safety and comfort.
"As can be seen, the vehicle was parked in the shade and the vents were open and active on the side and the roof.
"The officer checked on the dogs’ welfare regularly and they also had access to water. The vehicles are fitted with air conditioning in the pods," the police said.
"Our officers are trained to detect any heat-related issues with their police dogs and take their health very seriously."
The alleged incident follows Sydney's warmest December night in more than 150 years and one of the hottest on record.
Temperatures in the city only dipped down to 27.1C on Tuesday night, the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed, which is the highest minimum on record in 158 years since Christmas Day 1868.
The city is predicted to reach 38C on Wednesday, after peaking at 37.8C on Tuesday.
News break – December 14
