RSPCA Officer Locks Himself In A Car To Show The Danger Of Leaving Pets In The Heat

Kasia Mikolajczak
woman and dog in a car talking to an officer
Unsplash | CDC

I don't know about you, but I'm a huge animal lover. I grew up with a dog, and now we help take care of our neighbor's cat. To me, pets are like members of my family. So I would do anything to keep them safe.

That's why it's so important to ensure that you take proper care of your pets in the summer. An RSPCA officer recently took to TikTok to show people what happens when you leave your dog inside of a car on a hot summer day.

Here's the thing to remember about the summer:

person feeding dog some water from a bottle
Unsplash | Treddy Chen

It goes without saying that you need to take special care of your pets during summertime. And if you plan on taking your dog along for a ride in the car with you, don't leave them inside when you have to step away.

Why is that not a good idea?

man inside of a car with temperature reader
TikTok | @rspca_official

An RSPCA officer trapped himself in a locked car to experiment. He wanted to show people exactly what happens when you leave a dog in there for an extended time. When he began the video, the temperature inside his car was about 23°C (or 73° Fahrenheit).

But after only three minutes the temperature quickly climbed.

video camera
Unsplash | Grace Brauteseth

And his camera briefly stopped working due to the heat. He managed to fix it and continue recording, and after another two minutes, the temperature claimed up to 95°F. Holy moly! That's pretty dang hot, no?

His next update came at the 10-minute mark.

Janice from Friends saying "Oh My God!"
Giphy | Friends

At this point, the officer noticed that his heartbeat and his breathing were a lot heavier. Imagine that happening to a dog who has fur? Oh my goodness. Now, his meter showed that the temperature skyrocketed again, measuring a whopping 110°F. OMG!

He stayed in the car for another five minutes.

RSPCA officer in a car showing how hot it can get after only 17 minutes
TikTok | TikTok | @rspca_official

And he then said that the car felt just like an oven. His face became bright red, and he was pretty much dripping in sweat. The bad news is that the temperature was now at a dangerous 119°F. Wow! Isn't that crazy, huh?

After 20 minutes in the car, the temperature reached 122°F.

man saying "crazy!"
Giphy | The Office

And guess what? It just kept rising. After sitting in the car for about 25 minutes, which is a typical shopping trip somebody might take, it became pretty clear just how hot it can get inside the car.

At that point, the temperature reached an unbelievable 134°F.

I can't get over that. The officer said that it felt boiling in there. So if you see a dog left inside a car on a hot day, make sure to check to see if it's in distress.

If so, call for help right away.

man in a plaid shirt dialing on a cell phone
Pexels | Pexels

You might actually be saving the pet's life at this point. If you're tempted to do something yourself, the authorities urge you to call them first. They're usually more equipped to deal with situations like these. So don't try to break a window yourself. You might end up injuring the pet or even getting hurt yourself.

Is this an eye-opening experiment or what?

Man saying "it was really an eye-opening experience."
Giphy | ABC Network

I would never leave a dog in a locked car in the summer. That's just not right. But the problem is some people may not realize how quickly things can escalate. So this video is definitely a reminder to never lock your pets in a car for a long time. Even a few minutes can be too much for them if the dog is very small or has health issues. I'm so grateful for this video, if I say so myself.