On 18 June, summer heat grips the Lower Bavarian town of Dingolfing, Germany. A 19-year-old seizes the opportunity to cool off at the Caprima outdoor pool.
For over an hour, the young man enjoys the cool water and clearly forgets everything else around him. When he finally returns refreshed and relaxed to his car in the car park, the innocent swimming fun takes a tragic turn!
Car becomes death trap for dog
The young man had brought the family dog along in the car. And he made a decision he'll regret for the rest of his life: he left the dog in the car.
"It's only for an hour," he might have thought. "It'll be fine." But this recklessness ended catastrophically.
Whilst temperatures rose outside, the vehicle transformed into a deadly heat cage. Minute by minute, the temperature inside the car climbed, the air became increasingly stifling and ultimately life-threatening for the dog. In the end, he stood no chance.
When the young man returns to his car, it's already too late. His four-legged friend was already dead, perished in the stifling heat.
Minutes decide between life and death
Although the man rushes the dog to a vet, even the vet can only confirm the dog's death. He now faces investigation for breaching animal welfare laws.
Police have since confirmed: the dog stood no chance. Even at 25 degrees outside temperature, a vehicle's interior can heat up to over 50 degrees Celsius in the shortest time.
Even if windows are left slightly open or the car is parked in shade, a car can become a death trap for animals and children within minutes. So warns Dingolfing-Landau police.
A painful and avoidable loss – and a tragic warning to all pet owners: a car is no safe place for animals in summer, not even for a few minutes.
