Dog left in hot car sparks row in Pevensey

Concerned onlookers gathered around the car and confronted a man at The Star Inn in Normans Bay on Wednesday afternoon (July 29).

Alun Elder-Brown filmed the incident as it unfolded, and the footage has been viewed almost half a million times on Facebook.

He said, “I just wanted the dog out the car. It was at least 26-27 degrees.

“When you consider the temperature in the boot of that car, it must have been something like 30 degrees.

“The dog had been there for at least an hour and a half.”

The video shows the dog, a large schnauzer, peering out the boot of a blue Dacia Duster.

A small crowd gathers around the car and one person tries to open its doors.

Alun said, “It’s pretty grim. There were a number of people saying ‘put a brick through the window’.

“Police are likely to look kindly on that but it’s still against the law.”

After some time, a man starts walking towards the car and unlocks it from afar with keys.

A woman, one of the concerned onlookers, shouts at him, “Don’t you leave your dog in there, that’s cruelty. Get it out or else I’m ringing the police.”

The man says, “Please do not talk to me, calm.” He then appears to kick the person filming – Alun.

Alun, who is registered blind and can only see partially from one eye, said, “I was standing there with my walking stick and my phone in my hand.

“I don’t know whether he saw me as an easy target. It was quite some force.”

A heated argument breaks out, then the man opens the car boot and lets the dog out. He pours the pet a drink of water, and takes it for a walk.

Alun, who had been celebrating his 63rd birthday at the pub before the situation unravelled, said, “It’s a very dog-friendly pub so why he had to leave his dog in the car in the first place I don’t know.

“I’m not into drama, I just wanted to shame the owner and raise awareness. The dog was the primary concern for everyone.”

The Star Inn’s owner Dennis Brazil said staff were only made aware of the situation a few moments before.

One member of staff went outside to help and, Mr Brazil said, she has since received ridicule and cruel comments on social media.

He said, “I have seen every single comment that people have made, it’s horrific, the things they have said about her. She went out to try and help.

“I have contacted the RSPCA and they are going to help me make sure this doesn’t happen in the future.

“We are animal lovers here, most of us have got dogs. We have even set up a doggie bar.”

Sussex Police said officers had received a report a man had been assaulted after confronting another man about leaving his dog in a hot car outside a pub in Normans Bay.

It was reported that the vehicle had left the location and the victim did not want to pursue any further action, a police spokesperson said.

• The RSPCA says owners should never leave their dogs alone in a car on a warm day.

• It advises anyone who sees a dog in distress in a hot car to call 999.

• According to the animal charity, when it’s 22 degrees, in a car it can reach 47 degrees within the hour.