Leaving his dog in a car during this summer’s baking heatwave has cost a Castlemartin retiree £625.

John Stephen Foster, of Merrion Village, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his crossbreed dog, Boysie.

Magistrates heard on Monday that Foster had gone shopping in Tesco, Haverfordwest, on June 30 - one of the hottest days of the year.

At around 1pm another customer heard barking. She went to Foster’s car and could see Boysie tied up in the boot, the windows were slightly open.

The animal was described as distressed and the sun was shining onto the back of the vehicle.

Tannoy announcements were made in the Tesco store and the police called. Officers smashed the window of the vehicle and Boysie, who had hyperthermia, was removed.

Around 45 minutes later 66-year-old Foster arrived.

“Police explained to Foster what had gone on,” said Jon Tarrant, prosecuting for the RSPCA. “He was more concerned about his window, initially.

“An aggravating feature is the admission by the defendant that this was the fifth time he had been warned about this situation.”

RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben recorded the temperature inside his van at 55 degrees and 33.5 degrees in a shadier area. The general temperature was 28 degrees.

“Had the public not intervened it is quite probable that the dog would have died,” said Mr Tarrant. Defending himself, Mr Foster, who has no previous convictions, said that all four car windows were tinted and were open by an inch and a half, the sun roof was open by about six inches.

He said the temperature outside the vehicle was 23 degrees and that there had been a break in the weather that day, with the morning being colder. He said it had warmed up by the time Mr Hogben arrived.

He said he had had Boysie for 13 years.

“He doesn’t want to go anywhere else and I don’t want him to. He’s a good lad,” he said.

Magistrates allowed Foster to keep Boysie but fined him £295, he was also ordered to pay £300 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.