A DOG died from overheating after it was left in its owner's car outside a house in Bury.

The two-year-old Rottweiler cross was pulled dead out of the hot car on Sunday.

The RSPCA were called to the incident just after 6pm on Sunday and have interviewed a woman in connection with the incident.

The charity has now condemned owners who left their dogs in hot cars over the weekend despite earlier giving out repeated warnings about the dangers.

The RSPCA said it was inundated with about 350 complaints over the weekend from people who spotted animals suffering as the temperature rocketed to 32 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country.

Elsewhere in the UK, a seven-year old female Staffordshire bull terrier died after being left in a car outside a pub while the owners had Sunday lunch in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

RSPCA North regional superintendent Martin Marsh said: “The death of those dogs was an avoidable tragedy.

"Leaving a dog in a hot car has the same kind of effect as putting it in a microwave. They are literally cooked alive, in what is a horrendous death.

“People just aren’t listening. Leaving a window open simply isn’t enough, and in-car temperatures rise quickly, even if it’s cloudy.

“What people need to realise is that the next animal to die in a hot car, conservatory or outbuilding could be their pet - that’s how serious this is.”

An RSPCA spokesman said people often mistakenly believe that it is okay to leave a bowl of water or a window open for their pet, but this is not enough to protect them from heatstroke, which can have fatal consequences.

Even a hot garden without shade can be disastrous for an animal, the charity warned.

A spokesman added: "The temperature inside a vehicle can soar to 47 degrees within 60 minutes when the outside temperature is just 22 degrees."