If sitting in the car is proving too hot to handle this summer, then it's no place to leave the family pooch.
Temperatures can easily reach upwards of 40degC inside vehicles on hot days, even if the windows are cracked.
SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen says leaving animals locked inside can often prove fatal.
"The car heats up so quickly - just leave something on the dashboard and you'll see how quickly it melts. Dogs just don't cope with it," she told Newshub.
Cracking open the car window won't be enough to keep animals cool.
"It just doesn't get enough ventilation… on a hot day, your car will get up to 40degC in five minutes. In half-an-hour, it's up to nearly 50degC inside your car."
MetService meteorologist Ciaran Doolin told Newshub it will be a scorcher of a Christmas no matter where you are.
"For most parts across the country it'll be mid to late 20s."
With temperatures rising, even taking dogs for a walk in the hottest part of the day can prove to be fatal.
Ms Midgen says paths and roads can often burn exposed paws.
"If you can't walk on it, your dog shouldn't be working on it."
She suggests placing ice cubes in water bowls to help keep pets cool.
An Auckland woman on Friday had her dog stolen after leaving it in a car while she dropped a present off to a friend. The eight-year-old fox terrier-cross-cavalier King Charles spaniel was luckily found the next day.
Newshub.
