A NORTH West RSPCA inspector says he 'cannot believe' animal owners are still leaving their dogs in cars during the recent heatwave.

Across Merseyside 38 calls were received between Monday, June 25 and Sunday, July 1 and now Inspector Anthony Joynes has carried out an experiment to urge owners not to risk their animals’ lives.

With medical staff on standby, Insp Joynes locked himself in a van and managed to brave the heat for 30 minutes but said it became 'absolutely unbearable' even with the two van windows down by about two inches either side.

He said: "By the end of the 30 minutes it was 44.6 °C (112°F).

"It was like the Sahara Desert.

"I was wet through with sweat and I felt quite sick, I just couldn’t think properly because the heat affected me so much.

"Just imagine how much worse it must be for a dog who, in effect, is wearing a fur coat. I also had my windows cracked open more than most people would leave them.

"With the constant warnings in the press at the moment I don't believe there is one dog owner is the country that doesn't know about the dangers.

"I am gobsmacked with the amount of calls we have received.

"The people who leave dogs in cars are generally good owners and the dogs are always in a good condition with no evidence of neglect, they are just not thinking about their actions.

"You know the moment you think you need to open a window for a dog is when you should know that they should not be in there."

Insp Joynes told how he had only left his air-conditioned van parked up for 15 minutes but when he returned the heat had already started to build up.

He added: "As soon as I sat in the van I was incredibly uncomfortable because of the heat, the dashboard was red hot to touch and even with the windows slightly open there was no air circulating in the vehicle.

"Dogs don't sweat like humans and they're sitting in a fur coat.

"By leaving a dog in heat the stress it causes the poor animal is horrific. They really struggle to regulate their temperature and the only way they deal with the heat is to pant.

"A dogs normal internal temperature is around 39 degree.

"A temperature of 42 degrees can result in a fatality however brain damage and irreversible organ failure can begin at 41 degrees just a two degree rise which can happen very quickly.

"This panting will actually increase the heat and could lead to the dog collapsing - people do not consider this, it's really frustrating.

"We're trying to stop a tragic incident in which we get called out to a car, smash a window and find a dog has died due to heatstroke.

"This is highly preventable and anyone thinking about leaving their dog in a car should just take it home first.

"I am constantly hearing excuses such as 'I was only gone for five minutes' or 'the window is open' - it makes no difference if the window is open and I've never dealt with a dog who has only been there for five minutes, the time it takes for me to get to some locations and the dog is still in the car.

Chester and District Standard:

"The owners are rarely apologetic and can be very dismissive.

"They are gambling with their dogs life and one day these people will push this too far.

"If a dog has an underlying illness, the heat could trigger a reaction and owners could be coming back to a dead dog and in this case they would face the courts.

"It's really dangerous - it may be 22 degrees outside but inside the car this can raise to oven-like temperatures.

"They need to thank about all circumstances."

Over the last three weeks - as temperatures have soared to the high 20s - the RSPCA has received over 1,000 calls about animals and hot environments - the majority of which relate to dogs left in hot cars.

RSPCA campaign manager Holly Barber - who runs the Dogs Die in Hot Cars campaign - said: “There is absolutely no reason or excuse that warrants risking your pet’s life by leaving them in a car on their own in this heat.

"People don’t believe it will happen to them or they tell themselves they’ll only be a minute, but it simply isn’t good enough.

“We’re pleading with people not to take the risk and to leave their pets at home where they will be safe and happy.”

For more information about what to do if you’re worried about a dog in a hot car or a dog displaying signs of heatstroke call 0300 1234 999 or visit https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/dogsinhotcars - however, if a dog is in danger calling 999 should always be the first step.

Police in Ellesmere Port have also been urging people not to leave dogs in cars in hot weather under any circumstances.

They tweeted today: “Please don't leave your dog alone in the car in hot weather.

“Even with an air gap on the windows the temperature can quickly rise inside a car to a point where it can dangerous or even fatal for a dog.”