WATCH: Outcry after dog left in car in 32°C heat
The temperature reading stood at 32°C while a dog was locked in a vehicle with no windows open.
A dog was reportedly left inside a vehicle at Clearwater Mall for close to, if not more than 20 minutes before the owner returned.
A video posted by Dawie Oberholzer showed the thermometer in his vehicle at 32°C, a sweltering temperature for anyone and anything outside, let alone in a vehicle. The camera then begins to pan towards another vehicle, which the camera eventually shows has a dog in the front. It is parked in a no-parking zone of the mall.
The dog then begins to bark at Dawie, and we see that, as the camera rolls, none of the windows in the vehicle are open.
https://www.facebook.com/dawie.oberholzer.77/videos/10157025275586178/
According to Dawie, he attempted to contact the Roodepoort/ Krugersdorp SPCA, but was unable to get through. He also waited at the vehicle.
“After about 10 minutes of waiting for the owner, I, unfortunately, had to leave, but I left a note on the windscreen,” he said. After Dawie had left, Dominique du Toit waited for the owner.
According to a comment she left on Dawie’s Facebook post, the owner did eventually turn up, and claimed that he had only been gone for two minutes.
Dominique said the man’s claim was “BS”, to which he allegedly replied by calling her a “f*cking a**hole”. Dominique had also called Friends of Rescued Animals (Fora) as well as the SPCA while another woman apparently called the police and mall management.
Many social media users replied to Dawie’s post by saying he should have broken the window to get the dog out. However, after speaking to SPCA manager Mandy Cattanach, we can assure you that would not have been the brightest idea.
“Breaking the car’s window is not an advisable measure. There can often be a lot of charges involved,” said Mandy. “If you see a dog locked in a car in high heat, please call us before taking any extreme measures.”
According to Mandy, the only time breaking the window should even be considered is if you see the animal’s life is at risk, but even then you should refrain from making a rash decision.
If you see anything like this, please contact the SPCA on 011 672 0448.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at northsider@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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