A DOG died after being left to overheat in a car for at least 45 minutes on a warm and sunny day, a court heard.

Hamidreza Khassafi, 26, and Mandana Bohlool, 23, left one-year-old toy Pekinese Hermes in their Vauxhall Vectra car parked in the Beacon Road car park in Bournemouth with a window slightly open.

After the dog was spotted in distress police broke into the car to release it on Sunday, May 23, this year.

Bournemouth Magistrates heard temperatures were around 23C and the car could have heated up within ten minutes.

Matthew Knight, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said that the dog’s temperature was well over 42C compared with a normal body temperature of 38C.

He said: “They found Hermes in a very distressed state, panting – tongue well extended and didn’t appear to be able to retract it.”

The dog also appeared to be paralysed and when offered water “made no response”, he said.

Hermes died at around 11pm from heat-stroke.

In the opinion of vets, “leaving the dog in a car on such a hot day would have caused the dog severe and physical distress,” said Mr Knight.

The couple, now of Gargrove Place, Wakefield, Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act.

They were ordered to pay more than £900 each and disqualified from keeping a dog for three years.

Defending, Mike Carreras said that the couple travelled from their home in Eastleigh, arriving at the car park around 3.45pm and accepted an all-day car parking ticket from a motorist who was leaving.

They went out with the dog and took several photos on and around Bournemouth Pier before returning to the car with Hermes when they spotted notices banning dogs from the beach, said Mr Carreras.

The dog, a valuable pedigree, was otherwise healthy and well-fed, he said.

He added: “It is a case of two young people with a beloved dog who simply didn’t think about the consequences of leaving a dog where they did.

They weren’t expecting to be away for long.”

Sobbing, Bohlool told the court she felt “remorse” adding: “I haven’t forgiven myself for what has happened”.

Khassafi said: “We loved the dog just like our child”.

Chairman of the bench Mr Dale-Smith, said the couple had been “negligent” which had caused the dog’s death.