POLICE have warned people against leaving dogs in cars along the Dorset coast together with a reminder that doing so could lead to a criminal prosecution.

The safety warning comes after Lyme Regis Police revealed a third of the calls they received on Wednesday were in relation to dogs being left in cars during the recent hot weather.

On Wednesday, temperatures peaked at 17°C across Dorset as people flocked to enjoy the spring sunshine.

But cars can get incredibly hot, even on what appears to be a cloudy day, and people are advised to leave their dogs at home or with someone else if they believe they may have to leave them in the car for even a few minutes.

At 3.15pm on Wednesday, police were alerted to a dog left in a car at Holmbush car park on Pound Street in Lyme. And just an hour and 15 minutes later at 4.30pm, police were called again to a dog left in a car at Monmouth Beach car park.

PC Kirsti Ball of Lyme Regis Police said: “On attending the calls, most of the cars had already left the scene or the dog had been let out from the hot car.

“This unfortunately meant we were unable to speak to the dog owners, but we would like to reiterate to everyone that if we see dogs left in cars we can report the owner for animal cruelty to the RSPCA.

“This could also lead to a police prosecution.

“We were advised that on these most recent incidents, the dog owners had left car windows slightly open but were simply leaving their dogs in cars for too long.”

PC Ball added that most calls to the force regarding dogs in cars were made by concerned members of the public.

She said when attending these types of incidents officers always leave posters of leaflets on the owner’s car to warn them of the dangers of leaving dogs in cars.

PC Ball said: “It’s only April; we get a lot more calls about this in the summer but the point we want to make still stands.

“If you bring your dog out for the day don't leave them in your car. Take them with you, or leave them at home.

“Cars can become ridiculously hot in warmer weather and leaving your dog inside can be incredibly dangerous.”

What to look out for?

DOGS that are old, young, short nosed, long haired, overweight or heavily muscled are more at risk, as well as dogs with certain diseases.

Temperatures in air-conditioned cars can reach the same temperature as outside within just five minutes of the air conditioning being turned off.

Heat stroke can result in coma or death in extreme instances.

Owners worried that their dog may be suffering from heatstroke should move them to a cooler spot before calling the vet.