Dog left in hot conditions outside Rauma Prisma store in Finland prompts concern

On Monday evening, an incident occurred outside the Rauma Prisma store where a customer left a dog in a sunny area of the animal park before heading into the store. Mika Suominen, the store’s sales manager, reported receiving concerned calls from other customers.

“Tuesday was a very warm day, and the dog was in the cage without water. Other customers became worried about its condition,” Suominen said. The dog’s owner was announced over the store’s intercom several times, but failed to appear. According to Suominen, the dog had been in the cage for at least several tens of minutes.

“The last announcement was quite firm. A security guard was also called to help find the owner. The next step would have been to open the cage,” he added. Eventually, the owner was located, and it turned out they were eating pizza nearby.

The animal welfare organization Ehy, represented by chairperson Laura Suominen, noted that calls regarding animals left in hot conditions are rare. “We do occasionally receive calls about dogs left in front of stores, but not about those left in cars,” she said, highlighting a common misconception where owners think they can leave their pets briefly while shopping.

The Finnish Animal Welfare Association (SEY) regards this issue as an annual occurrence and regularly receives reports about it from the police. Leaving a dog in a hot car can lead to charges of animal welfare violations and fines.

According to Mika Suominen, the dog left at Rauma Prisma was in good health despite the high temperatures, as other customers had provided water. He emphasized that pet owners must take responsibility for ensuring their animals are not left in distressing conditions, especially when bringing them on shopping trips. The store aims to be pet-friendly, providing water and bowls in the animal park area.