Dog in Parked Car?
 It was at least 95 degress out today with 200% humidity. The windows were cracked a little and the car was under a tree, but I couldn't believe someone would leave their cute dog inside (especially when you could put it in your purse). Thinking someone must have just ran into the dentist office to get a new toothbrusth, I asked a man and his daughter in the waiting room if it was their dog. Nope it wans't and the receptionist said noone else was in the office at the moment.
I left the office and went across the street (where the cars are parked) and went into a bridal shop. 2 people behind the counter, a woman who spoke broken English and her daughter who appeared to be paying for something. They all looked at me as I breezed on in. When I asked if it was their dog, the mother said 'yes' and told me they'd be out in a minute. I asked her how long she had been in the store and she said 10-15 minutes I suggested that they may want to bring the dog into the store and she said she'd be out in a minute. At that point, maybe I should have left the store but I felt an overwhelming urge to linger until they walked out.
Apparently annoyed by my lingering, the mom repeated that she would be outside in a minute and then mumbled something to the others about how I'm saying she doesn't know how to raise her dog. With that  I said, "No, apparently you don't and you have no business having a dog. If you don't follow me out I'll call the humane society." The daughter and the Mom challenged me to go ahead and call. So, I walked my butt outside, pulled out the cell phone, looked at the street signs and license plate...then the Mom came out.
By that time, the people inside my dentist's office came out to see what was happening. The woman took her finger next to her head and moved it in circles to indicate that I WAS CRAZY! Who's the crazy person here! Why would anyone leave their dog in this heat? I didn't call the police or humane society. There's no telling if the dog would have been better off in the humane society; however, I hope it taught the owner a lesson  |
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| YOU GO GIRL!!!!
There are two footed people dying!!! all over the country because of heat...and they leave their four footed friend...who depends on them to take care of him/her in a hot car? Do they know how hot that car can get in the sun...even on a relatively "cool" day? This would have been a lovely time to have a thermometer in your purse....show her exactly who is CRAZY! I applaud you for your actions....only I'd go one further and CALL the police! Give them the license plate, time of day ect. In some states it is against the law...they might just give her a "courtesy" call....and scare some sense into her...cause you know she's gonna do it again. God bless those that DO care for their love ones. |
Good for you! It's way too hot for any living thing to be locked up in a car. I know we went shopping the other day to get some school supplies, we bought them - left them in the car while we went grocery shopping afterwards. We were in there about a hour and a half or so since Jason has to stop and chat with everyone he sees that he knows (which is a lot when we shop on base) for at least 15 minutes  , By the time we got out and drove home, the crayons we had bought for him had melted. If it's hot enough to do that, I feel bad for any animal left in a vehicle.  |
| That's being brave! Cool |
| AMAZING!!!! People can be so stupid!!!! |
| Actually it is illegal. Many people get charged with animal cruelty for leaving their dogs unattended in parked vehicles.
You can and should call the police when you find an animal in a parked car and temperatures are above "warm". (Dispatch even has a protocol for animals locked in vehicles.  )
Here are some articles that illustrate the point about how temps can dramatically rise in cars. (The short of it 1 hour = 40 degrees in temps as low as 70 degrees and 80% of the rise happens in the first half hour.) http://mednews.stanford.edu/releases/20 ... t-cars.htm http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/cool_ ... r_pet.html |
| Great job Stacy!! That was really bold and good of you.
Mandy -- Do the rules apply even when the windows are 1/2 open? I've never been sure. |
| Windows don't really help. The biggest thing is if they get there and if the animal appears to be in distress. If the animal is okay when they first get there they generally attempt to contact the owner and get them to come free the animal. They usually get an education at that point and a citation too!
If the animal is in distress then all bets are off and property is less valuable than life. Insurance probably won't cover the damage if you left your animal in your own car and it had to be forcibly rescued. Valerie wrote: Mandy -- Do the rules apply even when the windows are 1/2 open? I've never been sure.
Studies generally show that the ventilation provided by cracked or partially opened windows don't help the temp they just help the rescuers get the animal out easier. And if it's a small animal, then you haven't properly contained your animal because they can easily get out of a car with half opened windows and then the leash law would come into play. |
| It all depends on the weather, and whether or not the sun is out and if there's shade and what the ambient temp is, and the humidity, and if there's water available and if .....
I wonder if at 70 degrees even with a good sun, if a car is going to get over 90 degrees inside with the windows actually halfway open. The paper cited talks (very scientifically, huh) about "cracked" widnows. Still, sunny and 70 is probably about the limit, but that's just a guess, I haven't done the "science" like these folks. Here's a good rule of thumb... whenever you are about to leave your dog in a car in the summer, if you have any doubt, set up your car just like you plan on leaving it, and sit in there with the dog for 10 or 15 minutes and see how you like it. Personally, if there's a chance that the car is going to get too hot, and I can't find sufficient shade or a good spot so I can leave the windows open sufficiently, I don't leave the dog. In the summer that means almost never during the day, and frequently not during the evening, as it's still hot and muggy then, too. We sure missed him last night at dinner, I'm sure he would have loved to go for the ride with us, too! |
| Thanks! That's good to know. I was never really sure what was ok. . . |
I still don't!  |
| Generally 70 degrees and any sun is the kicker for cars getting hot and any living creature having difficulty being in a vehicle.
Don't forget that cold emergencies can be just as dangerous too! If in doubt, sit in your car for 15 minutes in the conditions that you would normally leave your animals. If it's uncomfortable for you, it's way uncomfortable for them! Also, coated breeds and breeds with 'smooshed' faces have more difficulty with the heat. The breaking and entering guidelines for emergency services people are if the animal seems to be in distress. Weather conditions can be perfectly beautiful but if your animal is in a vehicle for the whole day then it becomes a problem again. I'll keep posting and see how confusing I can make it!!! |
| I was at Lowes the other day and noticed a car with two min pins parked and all shut up, I went over to investigate and found that the owner had indeed left the dogs in the shut and locked car but the engine was running and the AC on. Dogs looked quite happy. Not sure how safe that was but the pooches appeared to be cool and comfortable |
| Not necessarily that safe.
http://kutv.com/pets/local_story_198201621.html |
Valerie wrote: Thanks! That's good to know. I was never really sure what was ok. . . Ron wrote: I still don't!
Right, I guess to be more precise what I meant was I have never been sure what exactly I should be worried about -- whether it was just closed windows or also when windows are left open. I gather now that it is both. I use safety belt harnesses, so leash laws aren't an issue for me. . . |
Maxmm wrote: Not necessarily that safe.
http://kutv.com/pets/local_story_198201621.html OH
I hope they were only running into the store for something and planning to be right back. |
| Oh my gosh - this is such a serious issue. I think you did the correct thing by making sure she came out to her dog - wow. I think she'll think twice before leaving her dog in the car again. |
| I'm so glad you said something Stacy!! I'm the kind of person who would have hunted someone down and stood over them until they took care of their dog too. I just can't handle seeing a dog suffer. I have turned someone in before [in TX] when they left their dog outside the back of the truck and their dog's paws were burning/melting. |
Tasker's Mom wrote: the owner had indeed left the dogs in the shut and locked car but the engine was running and the AC on.
We saw this recently too - in a diner on the highway, owners were obviously inside having lunch. Leaving the AC on in a parked car will eventually cause the engine to overheat. This is why so many cars overheat in heavy traffic - the AC is too much for the engine unless the car is moving. There is no workaround - parked cars just get way too hot, too quickly, for a dog. |
| 20 out of 10 Stacy. Yes you did the right thing. There have been cases here where not only do people leave their dogs in the car on a hot day but they leave their children. A child can die within eight minutes when left in a hot day in a car, so why not a dog. I think these people are not very intellegent and don't deserve to have a dog or pet.
I can never understand why they do this. Surely they themselves feel the heat in the car even when they are driving with a window open. Most have air these days and I bet they use it and yet leave their pet in it when parked. Well done Stacey. You deserve a medal for speaking up. |
| Thanks everyone for your encouragement. Stay safe and COOL! |
Tasker's Mom wrote: I was at Lowes the other day and noticed a car with two min pins parked and all shut up, I went over to investigate and found that the owner had indeed left the dogs in the shut and locked car but the engine was running and the AC on. Dogs looked quite happy. Not sure how safe that was but the pooches appeared to be cool and comfortable
On the rare occasion that I don't have the dogs with me, I do that, too. The dogs' car has a goofy ignition that allows me to take the key out while the car is running so I can lock them in-- although I pity the person that would try to get into the car with Bear in it if I didn't lock the doors. Even when I leave them, it's never longer for 10 minutes. All heat aside, I just worry about them being alone. |
| i'm gonna go ahead and break the mold here.
i'd be weirded out if you were standing there looking at jack in the car too. One time, I had to leave Jack in the car for 20 seconds so i could run in and pay for the gas, I closed the windows in the car before getting out, and closed the door once i was done pumping gas. for those 20 seconds, i know he was in a pressure cooker. But at the time, Jack was super duper cute. and had a little habit of biting people. if someone reached their hand in to pet him, he would've bitten the hand. then i could be sued for more money than anyone deserves, and be out in the cold with no dog and no money. if someone was perched by my car hawking over it and looking at me like i was mean when i got back, I might just have chased said person with a hatchet. Ed's two cents: provided. |
| You go girl! My office is right next to Goodwill and I see people all the time leave their dogs in the car. The manager of the Goodwill store loves dogs too and when I tell her about the dog she will get on the loud speaker and tell them that the owner of the car with the dog in it needs to leave immediately to tend to the dog as it is against the law to leave a dog in a parked car due to the summer heat. |
| Surely if you are going shopping the most sensible thing to do is not to take your dog in the car with you on a hot day. There are of course times you might have to have your dog with you, like for instance when visiting the Vet. On those days do not shop on the way home. |
| I agree with everyone. When it is warm/ hot outside do not leave your dog in the car at all. The other morning I was returning from the dog park and needed to stop and pick up some milk. It was early in the morning (about 7:30 am) and I thought it would be ok to stop quickly at the store.
5 min later I came back out and Daisy was curled up on the floor on the drivers side of the car. She normally waits in the driver's seat but it was so hot in that short period of time that she went to the floor. I know it is dangerous to leave dogs in the car, but I thought the time it would take to get the milk would be ok. NEVER again. Take the dogs home first, then go do errands. |
| There was a piece on our local news tonight about a Quebec woman who is visiting the NJ shore & she decided to leave her dog in the hot car while she spent the day on the beach. Here is a link to the local coverage which also has a video.
http://www.nbc10.com/news/9625799/detail.html What distresses me the most is that all of these people were hanging around and a policeman didn't get there until an hour after the dog was first noticed. I think I would have broken the window! It was 100 degrees here today! |
| Geez, can people really be that stupid?
I think she should have gotten more than a $50 fine!!! |
Way to go Stacy. 
Oh, and Ed.....  |
| Oh my goodness, thank goodness the dog is alright. I don't know how people can be so stupid either. |
 Yay Stacy!!!!! 
People are so ridiculous!!!!! I would challange them to stay in the car under those circumstances for that amount of time...WITHOUT leaving it running for the airconditioning!!!!! |
| Good for you, Stacy! :cheer: You did what needed to be done! Drez is a car riding fool. When she knows we're going out, she plants herself at the back door to go. When we take her out to pee before we leave, she pees and immediately goes to the car door. She's devastated when we put her back in the house, but at her age and with her infirmities, it wouldn't take long for us to lose her. Too bad she doesn't understand that, poor baby!! |
| GOOD FOR YOU!! GOOODD FOR YOOUUU!!!
(claps).... Michelina~ |
| I have a really, really sad story to add to this post. I just got a call from a neighbor and friend who has Toy Fox Terriers. As a preface, we went to a show together with our dogs the last weekend in July - from MN to Waukesha,WI. We had generator troubles in her 5th wheel RV, but got a new battery and it fixed the problem . We were VERY concerned, because we had 6 of her dogs, 1 of mine and were transporting 2 rescue dogs back to MN in the "dog room" in her RV. We stopped many times to check the generator, because of the previous trouble, but luckily all went well.
She has a REAL nice TFT young male named Abott, already a champion and recently ranked in the top 25 TFT's in the nation with AKC. She placed him with a handler while we were at the Waukesha show,so he could get more exposure, because her work schedule was too busy too show. He lived to show -such a natural ham! She got a call from the handler last night, that Abott had died, along with 8 other dogs!!! The generator had failed in the handler's RV and they lost all but 1 dog. She is absolutely devasted, Abott was her special boy and she loved him so much. They had the dogs loaded up and were on their way to a show. Can you imagine having to call all the dog's owners and give them news like this?? Once again, I am bawling..... 
Keep on harrassing people who leave their dogs in the car - even if they think it is safe. Accidents do happen. |
| OMG! That is just awful...I can't even fathom |
| How sad for your neighbor and all the other dog owners. |
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