'Pure panic' as terriers left panting in hot car
TWO terriers panting for breath after being left in a locked car in direct sunlight sparked panic among shopkeepers and questions about police handling of the situation.
The anxious shopkeepers frantically tried to get air and water to the sunbaked dogs which were lying on the floor of a parked car in Greenmarket car park in Penzance on Friday.
Hairdresser's receptionist, Beverley Hilton, described the scene as "pure panic".
"A crowd gathered and we tried to spray water through a slit in the sun roof but it didn't work. Thankfully the man from the barbers shop had the presence of mind to put a white sheet over the car to cool the inside of the car," she said.
Penwith district councillor Jan Rhurmund, who stumbled upon the incident, ran to Penzance police station to get help.
However, despite the fact that the police have powers of forced entry, unlike the RSPCA, Cllr Rhurmund was told that the police only had a responsibility to deal with this type of situation if it was a dangerous dog.
"Then I was told they didn't have an officer available to deal with it anyway," saild Cllr Rhurmund. Fortunately, the dogs' owners returned before drastic action was needed.
3 Comments
by Sarah Forbes, falmouth
Friday, August 22 2008, 8:03AM
“did any one take the reg number to perseucute the real animals of this story the owners of the dogs!!!!”
by lyn, cornwall
Thursday, August 21 2008, 2:34PM
“I have been in this situation before and I just smashed the window and got the dog out. If it was a child in there you wouldn't think twice about smashing a window, so why to think when it's a poor dog?”
by Sandra, Cornwall
Thursday, August 21 2008, 10:49AM
“Personally I would have just smashed the car window - then when the owner has to fork out for the cost of a new one it may make them think twice about torturing their poor dogs again!”