Driver slammed over 'disgusting' decision as temperatures soar
The RSPCA say it only takes six minutes before deadly consequences occur.
A driver has been slammed for leaving two dogs inside her sweltering car the same day the Bureau of Meteorology officially announced El Niño in southeast Australia.
A passerby spotted the pets inside a hot car parked along a busy main street in Shellharbour, NSW on Tuesday — where temperatures reached highs of 34 degrees — and quickly contacted the RSPCA believing the animal looked distressed.
"The dogs looked elderly and were panting quite a bit," the local woman told Yahoo News Australia. "The car was there when we arrived.
"In the time it took us to go to the post office then cross the road we realised there were dogs in there. It was at least 10 minutes [they had been alone]."
While on the phone with the RSCPA, the owner emerged and was allegedly displeased by the attention her dogs received.
"The owner came over and began yelling at my mum and I, then she drove off. I couldn’t believe her reaction," the local woman said.
A staff member from a local hair salon confirmed to Yahoo News the blue car — which appears to be stopped illegally — was no longer parked outside the business when contacted on Tuesday afternoon suggesting the car hadn't been there for long.
Pet owners take deadly risk leaving dogs inside hot cars
The RSPCA has warned dog owners that leaving their pet inside a hot car for as little as six minutes can result in disastrous consequences, with the soaring temperatures in southeast Australia expected for months.
“RSPCA hopes with more awareness people will realise the deadly risk pets face when left in vehicles and for people to leave their pets at home when heading to theme parks and shopping centres," it told Yahoo News previously.
The local shared an image of the dogs online and many did not hesitate in suggesting she smash the car window to retrieve the dogs, saying it was "disgusting" the owner had left them inside in the heat.
The RSPCA responds to hundreds of similar sightings every summer and often resorts to damaging vehicles in order to retrieve dogs left in hot cars. The animal welfare organisation is also prompting people to contact the police in the case of an emergency.
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