Concerned residents fume over 'unacceptable' find inside hot car

A woman raised concerns after noticing a pigeon locked inside a car as she walked by, claiming there were no windows open to allow air in and that the bird "looked distressed".

Marina Munnari was on the popular Bay Run circuit in Sydney when she made the sad discovery near Lilyfield on Wednesday. She said "something moving inside a car caught my eye" and so she wandered over.

"I was pretty sure it was a dog but to my surprise, it was a bird," she told Yahoo News Australia. "When I got closer to the car he started flying everywhere".

Temp inside car reaches extreme heights

The Sydney local said she was worried because it was a hot day, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees. According to road safety organisation NRMA, the temperature inside a hot car can reach almost double the outside temperature.

It's believed the pigeon might be a pet and not a wild bird as the woman claimed there appeared to be "no way" for a wild bird to get inside the vehicle.

"I'm stressed just looking at him with this heat already," she posted on Facebook on Wednesday morning, hoping the owner of the vehicle might see her plea.

"Not sure if this is a mistake or a temporary situation for this bird, but if the owner is in this group, I hope you get locked in a car in the same way with NO WINDOWS OPEN," she fumed.

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'No excuse' to leave pet unattended

Munnari called the police who "patrolled the area but could not find any bird locked in a car," a NSW police spokesperson told Yahoo. The spokesperson said "police do occasionally get called to this kind of job".

The RSPCA regularly remind people not to leave their pets in unattended vehicles, as six minutes is all it takes for an animal to overheat in a hot car.

"There is no excuse to leave your pet locked in a car unattended and RSPCA NSW urges the public to please factor your pets into your travel movements this holiday season," a spokesperson told Yahoo.

The animal organisation reiterated the dangerous temperatures inside a car "even on mild days". "When it is 22 degrees Celsius outside, the inside of a car can reach a stifling 47 degrees Celsius," they warned.

"As we navigate another hot summer, it is apparent that this is no environment for any animal," they added.

Residents shocked by 'unacceptable' act

Images shared by Munnari on social media shocked locals.

"I don’t think it will last long in a hot car. I would definitely call someone," one said. "If something is in distress pick up a rock and smash the window," said another assuming she was still at the scene.

Another raged saying "leaving animals in the car during summer is unacceptable".

"The whole 'I was only gone for 5 minutes' isn't really a defence," they said. "No one is a mind reader. Too many cases of animals and kids being cooked alive due to mistakes or forgetfulness."

Leaving animals inside car is a 'criminal offence'

According to NSW Police, keeping an animal in a locked car can be an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979. The maximum penalty is six months imprisonment.

As part of specific provisions in relation to the Carriage and Conveyance of animals, “a person shall not carry or convey an animal in a manner which unreasonably, unnecessarily or unjustifiably inflicts pain upon the animal.”

If people do see a pet in need of rescue, they’re urged to contact 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).

"Please note down the car’s make, model and license plate number or if you have your phone nearby, take a picture of it. If you can, stay with the animal until help arrives," an RSPCA spokesperson said.

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