Glasgow dog walker banned from working with animals after letting two die in hot van

A Glasgow woman who owned a dog walking business, nose2tailk9care, has been given a 20 year ban on owning, keeping, transporting or working with all animals and ordered to carry out 176 hours community service after leaving eight dogs in a hot van which resulted in the death of two dogs, three dogs being hospitalised and three others left ill, following a Scottish SPCA investigation.

59 year-old Helen Campbell pled guilty to causing the dogs’ unnecessary suffering by leaving them contained within her vehicle for a prolonged period of time without adequate ventilation, protection from adverse heat and failing seek necessary veterinary treatment.

Commenting on the investigation and court case, Scottish SPCA Inspector Gillian Dick said, “This is a heart-breaking example of why dogs should not be left in hot cars.

“The van was a totally unsuitable environment for dogs to be kept, especially on such a hot day. The dogs were left alone for two and a half to three hours which is unacceptable.

“Campbell did not inform the owners as to what had happened to their dogs which resulted in dogs receiving the wrong treatment. Had Campbell been truthful more appropriate treatment would have been given and prevented the situation being made worse.

“The temperature inside the van is likely to have reached at least 40 degrees centigrade. These conditions would be difficult for even a human to cope with never mind a dog that can’t sweat, as they have no sweat glands in the majority of their skin surface. The main way for a dog to cool down is through panting, which is much less effective than sweating and makes a dog much more prone to heat stroke.

“As a dog begins to overheat it will become very weak, have an increased heart rate and blood circulation which leads to dizziness and ultimately the dog will collapse and lose consciousness.

“Even in cases where dogs do not die, they can suffer from long term illness and the experience is extremely distressing.

“We welcome the fact that Campbell has been dealt with by the court and the sentence handed down. We hope she will give serious consideration about her suitability to care for other animals in the future.

“It’s with thanks to the owners for coming forward and raising awareness about this case that we were able to bring this to a successful conclusion. We hope that the outcome of this case highlights the dangers of leaving an animal in a car on warm days.