ALMOST 400 calls were made to the RSPCA in Hampshire about animals suffering with heat exposure last year.

The animal welfare charity claim reports of dogs being left in hot cars has hit a three-year high despite a major campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of doing so.

It was revealed that 379 calls were made in Hampshire to the RSPCA in 2018, with a total of 8,290 calls about animals and heat exhaustion reported throughout England and Wales.

Now, a campaign has been launched to spread the message: Dogs Die in Hot Cars.

Dogs Die in Hot Cars campaign manager, Holly Barber from the RSPCA, said: “Last year was our busiest for three years with almost 8,300 emergency calls made to the RSPCA about this issue - that’s a five per cent increase from 2017 and a 15 per cent rise from 2016.

“It’s extremely concerning that despite all of our campaigning, dog owners are still ignoring our warnings and risking their pets’ lives by leaving them alone in cars on warm days.

“How many more dogs need to die before people realise that that split second decision - usually made due to convenience - could have life-changing consequences?”

This year the campaign is launching on Dogs Die In Hot Cars Awareness Day, which takes place on May 6.

But despite a major annual campaign each summer, last year saw a three-year high for the number of reports of animals suffering heat exhaustion.

A quarter of vets surveyed as part of BVA’s autumn 2018 survey said they had seen cases of dogs requiring treatment for heat-related conditions over the summer.

The survey also found that 13 per cent of vets had seen a dog coming into their practice as a result of being left in a car.

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