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Perth courts: Man who left dog in hot car to die sentenced to community service

Staff WriterEastern Reporter

A 43-year-old has been convicted in a Perth court of animal cruelty after he left his dog in a hot car in January.

The dog called Bully, a bull mastiff died after being left in a parked car in Balga.

An RSPCA Inspector responded to a call from passers-by, who had seen the dog panting inside the car, which was parked on the verge in Fletching Street.

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One of the people was a trainee veterinary nurse, who began to administer first aid as soon as possible.

Sadly, despite her best efforts, and those of other witnesses, Bully passed away.

The man was sentenced to a 10-month community-based order with programme and supervision requirements, and an additional 100 hours of community service.

He is also required to pay legal costs of $1,383.42.

“Today’s outcome sends a strong message – the choices you make about your animals can be unintentionally fatal,” RSPCA WA Chief Inspector Amanda Swift said.

“Bully’s case demonstrates that even on cooler, overcast days, it is very dangerous to leave your dog unattended in a parked car. Dogs cannot regulate their body temperature like humans can, and the temperature inside a parked car can quickly climb to 20 degrees or more than the outside temperature.”

On the day Bully died the weather was cloudy and the temperature around the time that he was in the car (approximately 11am-1pm) ranged from 23.6C to 26.2C.

In the past year, the RSPCA WA received about 750 reports of dogs left in parked cars.

Even on moderately cool days, the temperature inside a car can be 20-30 degrees hotter than outside, and animals left in parked cars can suffer from heat stroke which can be fatal.

“If you see a dog in distress inside a parked car, call for help – speak to shopping centre management to page the owner, call the RSPCA Cruelty line on 1300 278 3589 or call the police,” Inspector Swift said.

“We hope today’s outcome will make people sit up and take notice.

“Making the choice to leave your dog unattended in a parked car can cause distress to your dog and can have fatal consequences. If you love your pet, just don’t do it.

“Today’s outcome shows that you can still be guilty of an offence even if you love your dog and think you’re doing the right thing.”