AN RSPCA inspector rescued a dog from a hot car during a county festival this weekend.

Inspector Suzi Smith spotted the animal trapped in a vehicle during the RHS Malvern Spring Festival, at the Three Counties Showground, on Saturday.

She asked organisers to make a tannoy announcement, prompting the dog’s owners to rush back to their vehicle and open the car's doors.

Inspector Smith said: “The owners were genuinely shocked to see the temperature inside the car had reached over 30C.

"They honestly thought at 16C outside there wouldn’t be an issue and they were very thankful for our help.

“This just shows how easy it is for people to get caught out by this. They had only been parked up for half an hour.

“We would always urge pet owners to make alternative arrangements for their pets or to take them with them where possible to avoid leaving them in the car."

RSPCA campaign manager Holly Barber added: “Many people think it will be fine just to leave their pets for a minute or two but we know that this is all it takes for temperatures inside a car to soar to dangerous levels.

"Dogs die in hot cars - don’t let your pet be one of the number.

"We have been doing a lot of campaigning lately about the dangers of leaving your dog in a hot car, and it’s really worrying that despite this, some people are still putting their pets in dangerous situations.

"Our main advice to owners is not to leave dogs in cars and our main advice to passers-by is to call 999 if they’re concerned about an animal in a hot environment."

Last year, the RSPCA received 7,199 calls about dogs suffering from heat exposure.

If you see a dog suffering from heatstroke in a car ring the police on 999.