Dogs locked in cars in summer: how to react to avoid tragedy?

This is the banality of abuse . At the beginning of April, the weather was already pre-summer in the Paris region. A fatal climate for Falco, this young Malinois used for security, who was found dead in the trunk of a car in Paris. The poor animal had been left muzzled in temperatures of 20-25°C, meaning a temperature in the passenger compartment of 40°C. His owner, a dog handler, kept him locked 24 hours a day in a transport cage and constantly left him muzzled out of fear. The animal suffocated alone, unable to regulate his body temperature, his organs swelling in the overwhelming heat until he died.

While the person responsible has been taken into custody and will be tried, this tragedy illustrates a recurring problem with many "dog handlers." Reports flood in every summer: dogs panting, drooling, prostrate on the ground, sometimes already unconscious. "Some live all year round in vehicles, often known to local residents. Others are left for a few minutes, just for a run, but that's enough to put their lives in danger," explains Anne-Claire Chauvancy, president of Action Protection Animale.

The latter identifies two main types of owners concerned. On the one hand, there are those who consider their pet as a mere tool, particularly in the private security sector, as illustrated by Falco's death in April. On the other hand, there are poorly informed owners , convinced that a half-open window is enough to avoid the worst or that a short absence poses no risk.

" When faced with an animal that is clearly in distress in a vehicle, the priority is to act quickly and in accordance with the law ," summarizes the association's president. First, it is necessary to identify critical warning signs: intense and prolonged panting, excessive salivation, a worrying state of apathy, reddened mucous membranes, or an animal completely prostrate on the ground. The legal procedure then requires immediately calling 17 while remaining on the scene until help arrives. "We also take calls to provide advice, file a complaint, and take care of the animal," informs Anne-Claire Chauvancy.

If the police are late and the animal is at risk of death, it is possible to break the window after having enlisted the help of two witnesses and having already notified the police. Once the animal is out of the inferno, it must be immediately placed in the shade and gradually cooled with a wet cloth or water, while waiting for help to arrive. " The law protects this emergency intervention via Article 122-7 of the Penal Code on the state of necessity," the association indicates.

What are the risks for the owner? According to the association, willful abandonment of an animal is a crime punishable by three years in prison and a fine of €45,000, increased to five years if the animal dies. Specialized associations, often called upon by law enforcement, systematically initiate legal proceedings against offending owners.

But it can also involve " mistreatment of a domestic or tame animal or one held in captivity ," in which case Article R654-1 of the Criminal Code applies. The maximum fine will be 750 euros.