Heatstroke is a rapidly fatal and preventable welfare emergency in dogs, with brachycephalic breeds, overweight dogs, and those in hot cars at highest risk.
Heatstroke welfare is an acute emergency that causes extreme suffering — hyperthermia, seizures, organ failure — before death or survival with potentially irreversible brain damage. It is almost entirely preventable through owner education. The combination of factors creating highest risk — brachycephalic conformation, obesity, exercise in heat, and car confinement — are all modifiable. Public awareness campaigns have increased the frequency of reporting dogs in hot cars, but the problem persists. Legislation enabling window breaking to rescue dogs in hot cars provides legal clarity for bystanders.