Every year as the weather gets warmer FOUR PAWS receives tragic reports of dogs that have died of heatstroke in cars. So if you’re driving around Bournemouth please think very carefully about what you are going to do with your dog.

You should never leave a dog alone in a car. It can get extremely hot in a car on a sunny day, even when it’s not that warm.

When it’s just 22°C/72°F outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 47°C/117°F within one hour. In a hot car, dogs are not able to cool themselves down as unlike humans they pant to keep cool – leaving a window open won’t keep the car at a temperature where panting is effective. Dogs die in cars. Let’s not let any more dogs die in Bournemouth’s cars this year.

WILL WRIGHT, www.four-paws.org.uk