Leaving your dog in the car (clean, black, children, outside)

[old_cold]

On another board a lady said she called police about a dog in the car,windows open halfway and about 75 degrees out.
Everyone praised her for it.

Isn't it getting to be overkill on this issue?

My husband is not well and often opts for waiting in the car while I go in the store....even this summer when it has been 80 and over with no shade.
Nobody yet has reported me for endangering him.
I am in no way defending people who leave pets or children in cars since the temperatures can climb surprisingly quickly to dangerous levels but shouldn't there be some common sense applied?

[Sam I Am]

I'd use this from HSUS -

Cool It! Summer's Heat Can Be Deadly for Your Pet | The Humane Society of the United States (http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/cool_it_summers_heat_can_be_deadly_for_your_pet.ht ml - broken link)

(here's my snippet) "recent study by the Stanford University School of Medicine showed that temperatures inside cars can rise dramatically even on mild days. With outside temperatures as low as 72 degrees, researchers found that a car's interior temperature can heat up by an average of 40 degrees within an hour, with 80% of that increase in the first 30 minutes. A cracked window provides little relief from this oven effect. The Stanford researchers found that a cracked window had an insignificant effect on both the rate of heating and the final temperature after an hour."The problem is humidity as well, and the fact that a dog's body is not really made to throw off heat, but rather to conserve it. Heat stroke comes on very quickly in many breeds, so there's a lot of factors to consider.

Comparing the cooling system of a human to that of a dog or cat isn't even in the same ballpark. Dogs sweat through their nose and pads, and even on a cold day the sun shining onto a car seat can heat it up - the pet has nowhere to go that isn't warmed. We sweat all over and can get out of the car if we need to - a dog can't.

Better safe than sorry. If it had been a child in the car everyone would be proclaiming the lady a hero...same thing. The child can't escape, neither can the pet. If you wouldn't do it to a kid, don't do it to a pet.

[Mike in TN]

I think this is just a common sense issue. If you are going somewhere for a couple of minutes on a bearable day Rover will probably be fine.

[SXMGirl]

Originally Posted by old_cold

On another board a lady said she called police about a dog in the car,windows open halfway and about 75 degrees out.
Everyone praised her for it.

Isn't it getting to be overkill on this issue?

My husband is not well and often opts for waiting in the car while I go in the store....even this summer when it has been 80 and over with no shade.
Nobody yet has reported me for endangering him.
I am in no way defending people who leave pets or children in cars since the temperatures can climb surprisingly quickly to dangerous levels but shouldn't there be some common sense applied?

Your husband can open the door and get out of the car if it gets too hot. Your dog doesn't have that option. Common sense should always prevail. If I have to think twice about whether it is safe to take the dog because of heat, he stays home.

[andreaspercheron]

I think if you are being a busy body and calling the police on people for stupid things then you ought to get a ticket for wasting the cops time.
Common sense is correct. I have a dog, if it's scalding hot outside, I won't even take him for a car ride. On the other hand when it's nice out (less than 80 degrees), then I take him and I might run into a convenience store for five mins with the windows down and sunroof open.
It's common sense.

[Sam I Am]

I think we would need to know how long the dogs were in the car before calling anyone a busybody or intimating that they wasted the officer's time. Officers spend a lot of time chasing things which may or may not turn out to be a violation of the law - it's their job. I know, I was one... If it is in front of the 7-11 or dry cleaners, where most people do not dally their day away, it's one thing. In front of the mall? Ain't no 5-10 minute trip going on there, and yeah, I'd probably call too.

It's also important to remember that the 5 minute job into the hardware store could turn into a half hour when someone gets distracted, and a lot can happen with regard to heat in a half hour. People leave kids in the car and forget them. Too bad if the officer feels I'm wasting his time...too bad if the person who left their child, dog or parakeet in the car thinks I need to mind my own business.

If I can't take one of mine where I need to go, like to the drive thru at the bank, or take them inside the store like at Petsmart, they most likely don't need an outing that badly...but that's just me. So there's pretty much a base of two places they need to go to other than the vet. A Sunday afternoon drive is one thing, taking the dog "shopping" is another.

[PudelPie]

Sure, much of life and interaction with others should be based on common sense. But the truth is we don't all have it, or exercise it when we do...would it have been better for the dog to overheat and die? I'm not sure what your point is--that it's overkill when people notify authorities to potential danger?

As for your husband, as Sam points out, unless he's physically impaired, presumably he can open the door and get his ass out if it becomes uncomfortable. It's hardly a comparable situation.

[SuSuSushi]

Originally Posted by old_cold

On another board a lady said she called police about a dog in the car,windows open halfway and about 75 degrees out.
Everyone praised her for it.

Isn't it getting to be overkill on this issue?

My husband is not well and often opts for waiting in the car while I go in the store....even this summer when it has been 80 and over with no shade.
Nobody yet has reported me for endangering him.
I am in no way defending people who leave pets or children in cars since the temperatures can climb surprisingly quickly to dangerous levels but shouldn't there be some common sense applied?

It does sound like the lady in question was a little overzealous about reporting that dog. My standard is this: If I would be comfortable sitting in my vehicle with the windows open, then my pet will be fine for short periods of time. I take my dog with me a lot during nice weather when I go out on errands. I'm always aware of the temperature and I always have water in the car for the dog even if it's not hot outside. But then again, she rarely gets left for more than 15 or 20 minutes maximum.

I'm all for reporting bad pet owners if the animal is in danger, but 75 degrees with the windows open is not something I'd worry about.

[kelly3120]

I personally will not leave my dog in the car unattended ....because he's locked me out and if he really saw something he wants he will jump out the sunroof! I have no problem w/ something leaving their dog in their car for a few minutes to run into a store ...use common sense!

[Woof Woof Woof!]

Originally Posted by old_cold

On another board a lady said she called police about a dog in the car,windows open halfway and about 75 degrees out.
Everyone praised her for it.

Isn't it getting to be overkill on this issue?

My husband is not well and often opts for waiting in the car while I go in the store....even this summer when it has been 80 and over with no shade.
Nobody yet has reported me for endangering him.
I am in no way defending people who leave pets or children in cars since the temperatures can climb surprisingly quickly to dangerous levels but shouldn't there be some common sense applied?

Well, if it does get too hot, your husband can reach over and open the car door. A dog can't do this. It also depends on the slant of the sun and the color of a car. A black car heats up much faster then, say, a white car. Also, it's easy to walk into a store and then forget your dog is in the car.

I never take a chance. On a warm day, my dog stays at home.