Dog owners warned of dangers of leaving pets in cars

Every year, hundreds of canines manage to accidentally lock themselves into their owner’s cars — a phenomenon which becomes even more dangerous in summer, when rising temperatures can turn vehicles into death traps for dogs.

AA Ireland has teamed up with Dogs Trust to try and educate owners about the dangers of leaving pets in cars, even for short periods.

“What tends to happen is that owners step out of the car and leave the keys in the ignition. Then the dog jumps up on the central locking button,” said Lar Byrne from AA Ireland. “We’ve had emergency call-outs where multiple dogs have been locked into vehicles. I remember one where six dogs were trapped.”