Temperatures are high and will remain so for some time. People often cool off on the beach and in the sea and then sometimes leave their dog in the car. Dog friend Tonny Haak from Zandvoort thinks this is terribly anti-social and that is why he warns again: “Don’t leave your dog in a hot car, it can be fatal!”
For many summers in a row, Tonny could be found with his scooter in the parking lots between Zandvoort and Bloemendaal. Looking for dogs left in the car by their owners. In extreme cases, the Zandvoorter sometimes wanted to break a window to free the four-legged friend.
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Zandvoort Tonny Haak saves dogs from sweltering cars – NH News / Paul Tromp
These warm days Tonny is unfortunately housebound. His health is failing, he has to take it easy for now. “But I do have volunteers and friends driving around on the boulevard, you know. And my wife sometimes helps too,” he says.
Fortunately, he has not received any reports of overheated four-legged friends in recent days. But because the heat is not over for a while, Tonny makes another call. “You have to keep warning people, keep emphasizing it. Don’t leave your dog in the car these days. Especially not in a black car. They get even hotter inside than, for example, a white car. Dogs can eventually suffocate from the heat.”
Do not empty a bucket of water in one go
If anyone wants to help an overheated dog, don’t throw a bucket of cold water over the animal at once. “Preferably lukewarm water. First put a little under the legs, then on the stomach and neck and then give him something to drink,” explains Tonny. “And don’t go cycling with your dog in these temperatures!”
The latter happened last week, says Anita Treffers. She runs a fish stand along the boulevard. “It was a few Germans on bicycles and they had a dog walking next to them. I immediately put water on his legs. They were scalding hot, it was so very sad. It’s just antisocial.”
Tonny wants to educate the dog owners: “You always have to make it clear to those people that they can be hit in the pocket. It can cost them 450 euros and perhaps a broken window. One of my volunteers also pointed this out to a few Germans last week They immediately apologized and learned their lesson.”
‘Don’t play on sweltering sand’
People who want to play with their four-legged friend on the beach in the sun should not do so, warns Tonny. “Don’t run and play with them in the full sun. The sand is very hot these days. Only let your dog go into the sea when the sun has completely set. The water can also be very cold. The rescue team warns people for nothing.”