As if anyone needs to be reminded, it's summer, the weather is heating up, and you should never - absolutely never - leave your dog in a car.

Negligence is unforgivable. In Scotland recently, four dogs died after their owners left them in cars, according to the Scottish SPCA. Temperatures exceeded 26 degrees Celsius inside the cars - that's 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Doesn't sound excessively hot, does it? But it's plenty hot enough to kill a family pet.

"Many people don't realize just how dangerous an act this is and we are getting reports of it happening all over the country," said Mike Flynn, superintendent of the Scottish SPCA.

Unfortunately, we're likely to hear more stories like these in the coming months. Let this be a reminder: Leave your dog at home if you're going to run errands this summer. Even if you leave the windows rolled down a bit, the inside of your car can heat up quickly.

It's just not worth the risk.