![\\"logo\\"](\\"/img/logo-dpa-factchecking.svg\\"/) *About ![\\"IFCN](\\"/img/ifcn-certificate.png\\"/) ![\\"EFCSN](\\"/img/efcsn- certificate.png\\"/) ## Good intentions are not enough # Freeing a dog from a hot car is not without consequences 8.6.2023, 14:31 (CEST) A suffering dog in a hot car is difficult for many to watch. But noble intentions do not make legal consequences disappear. The same with breaking a car window. Temperatures will climb again in the coming days. Although it is not is a good idea, you sometimes see a dog in a car on such a hot day. What too do in that situation? A widely shared post on Facebook states that you according to the police should take a picture of the dog, call the police and wait five minutes. Then you could smash the car window to kill the animal without being responsible for the resulting damage. But is Is that really the best plan of action? ## Judgement This is not correct: anyone who breaks a car window, even with good intentions, is responsible for the damage. It's best to call the police, they are allowed take such actions. ## Facts Helping an animal in need is done with the best intentions, but that's it breaking a car window is not without consequences. \"We certainly do not recommend to break one of the windows of the car of his or her own volition in order to... dog from the heat," says a federal spokeswoman police to dpa. "After all, this is how you commit a crime, even if it is for a noble cause." it sounds. \"The Belgian criminal code punishes this with a fine deliberately damage or destroy other people's movable property\'.\" You can therefore be held civilly liable for damage to the car, by the owner or his insurer. Regardless of the legal reality, it can be a very dire situation for a dog. The temperature in a car can be twice as high outside temperature, even with an open window or in the shade. \"Cars heat up very quickly and temperatures can increase much faster than humans would think," is what VeDa, the Flemish professional association, said veterinarians. How long exactly does it take before an animal overheats depends on a number of factors, but it can happen quite quickly. What to do? First of all, you can try to find the owner of the car. If so If this does not work, it is best to contact the police. They are allowed to take such actions to undertake. That being said, it may take some time before the police are present and available the situation for the dog is acute. In such a case you can take action pass. The only situation where you could break a car window yourself is when the dog is in acute danger to life and you do this in explicit consultation with the police," says the spokeswoman federal police. In short, the shared story is not very correct. Yet it happens more often back: Knack already wrote a fact check about this in the summer of 2020. How do you help an overheated dog? How exactly can you tell that a dog is overheated? Dogs can't sweat like people and their body temperature can rise above 41 degrees (de normal body temperature is 38 to 39 degrees). The dog will pant, a lot drooling and not alert. In the next phase he may vomit or have diarrhea and eventually the dog will lose consciousness. At this point the animal is in danger of life. And what can you do to help the dog? The body temperature must drop, but that shouldn't happen too suddenly. Take the animal to a cool place and rub the neck, trunk and legs with a lukewarm, wet cloth. Give the small portions of fresh drinking water, but make sure the water is not too cold. \"Of If an animal is overheated, it is best to go to the vet," says a spokesperson from VeDa. Prevention is of course always better than cure, both for the dog and the dog car window. Ideally, you should never leave a dog in the car, even if it is but for a moment, the car is in the shade and the window is partly open. And Breaking a car window in extremis is done at your own risk. (State of play: 07.06.2023) ## Left Facebook post (archived) Police brochure about dogs in the car (archived) Overheating in Dogs (archived) Article Woef (archived) Fact check Knack (archived) ### About dpa fact checks This fact check was written in the context of the Third Party Fact Checking program from Facebook/Meta. More information about this initiative can be found here. Explanation from Facebook/Meta about dealing with accounts that contain incorrect information distribution can be found here. You can send substantive suggestions or comments to factcheck-belgium@dpa.com with a link to the relevant Facebook post. Please select the correct one for this use templates. Guidelines for objections can be found here. powered by dpa-newslab | Imprint | Privacy | About:
If you see a dog locked in a car in the heat you should take a photo call the police wait 5 minutes and then you can break the window and you will not be responsible for the damage