Dog in a Hot Car!

Last week I was racing back to work after too long of a lunch and saw a gorgeous dog panting away inside a BMW in the hot sun. I was livid, but also late. Painfully ambivalent, I drove past; stopped, started, stopped, backed up, turned around and then parked. I waited for someone to come out hoping someone had just run into one of the houses. No one came out. I started a bitchy note, and headed to the car to check on the dog. Was I going to have to call the police? Animal Control… ugh and I was late!

Just as I was about the put the note on the windshield this ditzy girl emerged from one of the houses. I asked if it was her car and it was. I said oh well I was leaving you a note as it is too hot to leave her in the car. She replied that she was just coming to get her.  Believing that you attract more bees with honey than vinegar, and knowing that I was super late, I stopped myself from unleashing a tirade upon this idiot. Besides she knew she effed up and that she was caught.

But it got me thinking what is the right move in these situations? What should you do if you find a dog in a hot car? And how hot is too hot to leave a dog in the car?

The answer to the first question is if you are concerned about a dog’s immediate health, go searching for the owner in nearby houses, restaurants and or shops and ask around if anyone saw who left the dog. If you are unsuccessful call the police and or the local animal control. If you have to smash the window, it will probably be better for you to have phoned the police first.

MyDogisCool.com

Another option is to  leave one of these genius stickers made by United Animal Nations available on MyDogisCool.com.  And if you have a towel to spare, cover the front windshield which is where a lot of the heat comes from.

And the answer to the second question is that according to a Stanford University test even when it is 72 degrees outside, a car’s internal temperature can rocket to 116 degrees within an hour, even with windows cracked. When it is 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 102 degrees in 10 minutes and 120 degrees in 30 minutes. A dog can only withstand a high body temperature for a short time before suffering nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage or even death.

So if it’s over 65 degrees leave your pooch at home! If you must bring them along, mitigate your quick trips in and out of the car by putting up a sunblocker in the front windshield, and installing car window ventilators. I have not used the ventilators myself so use with caution and don’t expect them to make it icy for your dog, just bearable for a few more minutes.

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