DOG owners who leave their pets in vehicles during hot weather could find their windows smashed, police said.

It comes after reports of a wheezing dog left in the back of a Ford estate brought police officers to a town centre car park.

Following the emergency call, a Wiltshire Police spokeswoman warned pet owners their car windows could be smashed by officers hell-bent on rescuing hot dogs: “If you leave your dog in a hot car don’t be surprised if you return to find that we have forced entry to the vehicle and rescued your pet.”

Today, the 30-year-old woman who spotted the distressed dog in a Ford estate in Granville Street car park told the Swindon Advertiser she and a colleague were close to tears at the animal’s plight.

“When we saw the dog it was clearly struggling to breathe and not responding to us at the window. It wouldn’t even lift its head,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous.

“Both myself and my colleague were close to tears as we honestly thought the dog wasn’t going to survive. We were shocked at the attitude of the dog’s owners, who didn’t think they had done anything wrong.”

A Facebook post highlighting the dog’s plight has been shared more than 16,000 times.

Wiltshire Police confirmed their officers were called to reports of a distressed dog in a car on Thursday lunchtime.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “When we arrived the dog was heavily panting and not responding. The window was slightly open but the dog was obviously in distress.

“We managed to get the dog out and a kind member of the public got the dog some fresh water. Fortunately, the dog perked up.

“The owners arrived and we ensured that the dog was taken to a local vets for a check up.”

No arrests have been made, but police said their enquiries were ongoing.

Officers criticised pet owners who leave their dogs in cars during periods of hot weather: “The RSPCA estimates that in 22C weather, a car can reach an unbearable 47 degrees within an hour.

“If you come across a dog in a car during warm weather and you’re concerned that the dog appears uncomfortable you should call police on 101 to report it. If the dog is in clear distress then call us on 999.”