Equipped with a digital thermometer and stopwatch, Chris filmed himself throughout the challenge, recording both the rapidly escalating temperature inside the vehicle and the physical toll it was taking on his body.
The experiment began with the temperature inside the car sitting at 23.3C.
Yet within just five minutes, it had surged to 35.1C.
By the 10 minute mark, the temperature had risen to 43.6C, with Chris reporting that he could feel his heart beating faster and his breathing becoming heavier.
He said: “I am baking. It is so, so hot in here. I can’t even begin to tell you.”
“Obviously I’m sweating a lot. Dogs regulate their body temperature very differently to humans, so they would struggle even more in these conditions.”
RSPCA hot car experiment: How fast temperatures rise inside locked car.
Chris further noted that while he was fully aware he could exit the car at any moment, a dog would have no such understanding – meaning the animal would likely grow increasingly distressed, rendering the situation even more hazardous.
After 15 minutes, the temperature had soared to 48.8C, surpassing 50C just two minutes later.
“Everything in the car is absolutely boiling,” he said. “I cannot imagine how a dog would feel.”
By the conclusion of the 25-minute challenge, the thermometer was registering a staggering 57.1C.
Chris added: “I cannot believe the impact this has had in such a short space of time. This is so dangerous. Never leave a dog in a hot car.”
Dog heatstroke warnings and emergency RSPCA advice
The stark warning comes as forecasters predict yet another bout of scorching weather across parts of the UK, with temperatures anticipated to climb into the 30Cs.
The RSPCA is urging owners to remember that leaving a dog in a parked vehicle – even for a matter of minutes or with the windows slightly ajar – can rapidly prove fatal.
The charity warns that dogs are unable to regulate their body temperature as efficiently as humans, rendering them considerably more susceptible to heatstroke.