Dogs In Hot Cars Are Not Cool
80It's The Same Thing
"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." Gilda Radner
Spring has sprung and Summer is coming. That means hot weather and soaring temperatures. It also means lots of outings. Sadly some of these will result in excruciating deaths and the loss of some beloved friends.
People love to take pets along for a ride. Usually it is our dogs that go with us when we run errands, visit friends and pick up the kids at school. We take them on vacation and travel with them to all sorts of interesting places. But are we taking them on their final trip-to their death? Most of us love our pets and think of them as family. We buy them the best food, provide medical care and even allow them to sleep with us. There are times to say “no” to that wagging tail and those big, begging eyes.
When the weather is hot, a dog’s place is safe at home where he is in a climate controlled atmosphere. Even if the windows are cracked or rolled halfway down, an automobile gets too hot for an animal. The temperature inside a car rises at an extreme rate. An animal can die of heat exhaustion within minutes. On a 72 degree day, the temperature inside a car can be 116 degrees within ONE HOUR! An animal can die within 10 minutes!
A study showed how temperatures inside a vehicle can skyrocket and become a death trap for the animal left inside. The study was in a shaded area. A full sun spot would be even hotter, faster. See the chart below for shocking information and please never, ever leave your best friend in a car to die a horrible death.
Should you see an animal in a hot car, call the police or animal control immediately. It is illegal in most states for an animal to be left like that. I am including a link to a flyer that can be printed off. Leave it on the windshield of any vehicle where you see an animal alone or pass them out in parking lots on a steaming day. It is a reminder to the owner that it is too hot for their pet to be left in that vehicle.
Many states here in the United States have enacted laws preventing animals from being left in cars and the owner may face fines and even jail time. It is considered animal cruelty in most of these states.
When our pet goes with us to the park, picnic, camping or other places, it is smart to carry water for him. Keep a bowl and a water bottle for your pet and offer refreshment often. Pets get dehydrated easily. They do not sweat like a human does and overheat quicker. Animals are not able to sweat like humans do. Dogs cool themselves by panting and sweat through their paws. A dog’s normal temperature is already 102.5 degrees and rapid panting adds to that by increasing the body temperature even more. Compare it to how we get hotter when we exercise.
Once an animal is in a state of heat stroke, death usually occurs. The heart, brain and nervous systems suffer irreversible damage.
Signs that an animal is in distress include: excessive panting, excessive drooling, increased heart rate, trouble breathing, disorientation, collapse or loss of consciousness, seizures and respiratory arrest.
Even walking around a flea market, fair or other hot area may be too much for your dog. Remember that he is close to the pavement where temperatures are absorbed and rise in waves. An elderly animal or one with health issues will be affected faster and more severely than others might.
Stop, think and act with wisdom and love. A life depends on you making the right choice and putting the welfare of your pet first. Your reward will be that head on your knee and a wagging tail to greet you and let you know you are loved. When the world turns away, a pet turns toward his owner. He loves without question. Shouldn’t we do the same?
God gave us dominion over the animals and the first man Adam named them all one by one. The Creator expects us to treat them with love and respect as with everything in our lives and in our care.
Genesis 2:19-20 "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them:
and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;" ... (KJV)
Hebrew Word For Dog
Kelev.
כלב
Roger Caras
"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of ther universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made."
Car Temperatures With Windows Closed
9:00 am
| 82°
| 109°
|
|---|---|---|
10:00 am
| 91°
| 115°
|
11:00 am
| 98°
| 114°
|
12:00 pm
| 101°
| 119°
|
1:30 pm
| 112°
| 124°
|
2:30 pm
| 125°
| 130+°
|
Time Of Day
| Outside Temperature
| Inside Closed Automobile
|
Car Temperatures With 4 Windows Cracked
9:15 am
| 84°
| 98°
|
|---|---|---|
10:00 am
| 88°
| 103°
|
10:30 am
| 90°
| 108°
|
11:00 am
| 92°
| 109°
|
12:00 pm
| 95°
| 113°
|
1:00 pm
| 101°
| 114°
|
2:00 pm
| 110°
| 123°
|
Time Of Day
| Outside Temperature
| Inside With 4 Windows Cracked
|
Man's Best Friend
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
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Thanks Pooh. With hot weather fast approaching, I hope people remember too. What a terrible death this must be. And I agree, some people should not be allowed to have animals-ever.
Thanks for stopping in.
We had a K-9 officer who became distracted and left his dog in his car for hours, here in the Arizona summer. The dog was dead long before the officer remembered.
thank you for this hub - It is also illegal to leave your dog in the car in New Zealand. I hope this saves a dog by opening someones eyes
Hi WillStarr. How terrible! I wonder if the officer was disciplined. That really breaks my heart.
Thanks for stopping by Lyn.Stewart. I am happy to hear it is illegal there. I also hope this saves a life by increasing awareness.
I thought this was going to be about hotdogs. I see nothing wrong with eating hotdogs in the car, but I definately agree with you on this. I'd never leave my dog in a hot car. That's cruel. Hotdogs good, hot dogs bad. And hot birds, of course. I get a little upset when I see a dog in the back of a truck, too. It could jump out. People need to take care of animals better.
Perfect hub and a message that can not be said enough. I love my Chrissy and can't imagine ever leaving her in a hot car. Thank you for sounding the alarm...
God Bless my friend,
Sunnie
Q, you fell into my trap. evil laugh
I worded the title this way so people would think hotdogs and wonder, then see it is about hot dogs! I do not like to see dogs in the back of trucks either, they look miserable and unsafe. And the metal gets very hot and can burn them.
A hot bird....hmmm. Hyphen used to ride in the convertible with me when it was hot. But the top was down and he was in his little cage to-to protect homeless people.
Thanks for stopping by Q.
Good morning Sunnie, how nice to see you. With hot weather fast approaching, I want people to be reminded now. Most people intend to only leave the dog a few minutes then become distracted and a tragedy occurs.
Thanks for stopping to visit and your always gracious comments.
Thank you for this early reminder. It is seriously important. Most importantly though is that God forbid it is a Child rather than a dog.
Hyphenbird~~ This is by far the most valuable HUB I have reviewed so far... your information is AWESOME & USEFUL-- I think the temperature charts are REMARKABLE and if this saves one fur baby, then it was so worth it~~ thank you very, very much!! Voted UP UP...!!
Excellent article as usual Hyph. A great reminder too.The lay out is super. Death by heat is a horrible way for any creature to go. Putting the mojo on for this hub to go all the way!...lol. like it needs any such thing.
Dave Mathews, thanks for stopping in. I am glad this Hub has touched people. You are so right, this happens to children also. I thought about making mention of children in the Hub, but didn't want to remove focus from the primary issue I wrote it about. Perhaps I will write one focusing on two footed babies.
Thanks for the great comment.
marcoujor, I thank you humbly. I am passionate about caring for our beautiful four footed friends. And I was hoping the charts would be powerful, they made an impact on me!
Thanks you so much for the visit and the votes.
Alastar Packer, you are so very kind and I thank you. I want to get through Summer without hearing of even one death caused by this negligence and cruelty.
I am glad the layout worked. I wasn't sure. I had to maually add every line of the table and while it was time consuming I am glad since it worked.
Thanks again for your visit and votes!
I love the picture of the dog. I hope all animal owners will read this. A woman left her baby in the car last summer, someone reported it and the baby was saved but was very sick. She was charged. GOOD.
Hello always exploring, nice to "see" you. I hope this Hub is found by many people and makes a difference in the life of an animal. I hear about babies being left also and am considering a Hub on it. It is so sad that one gets distracted enough to forget a child! She should be punished. It will be a deterrent for others. I wonder if the baby suffered permanent damage?
I really don't know. The terrible thing is the Mother was a Doctor. Go figure?
Oh my! That is shocking. I used to think people lied when they said they forgot all about their child. Then I met my grandson's father and now I believe it really does happen. I do not understand it and never will!
Hi Hyphenbird - Your lead-in photo tells the whole tale.
Gus :-)))
Excellent topic! Excellent writing! This reminder is so important to all of us.
Hi Gus. Yes, that photo is heartbreaking in its implications. Thanks for the visit.
Sharyn, thank you. Those who depend on us need us to speak out for them also. I hope this Hub saves lives.
Thank you for the visit and your comappsion.
Hi Hyphenbird,
Fantastic article! Great write! I'll print off your flyers and spread the word. This has been a sore spot for me for a very long time.
I've gotten myself in a bit of trouble once when I was 20 years old and broke somebody's car door window to get their not one...not two...but three dogs out of their steaming hot car. I didn't care. The two bigger ones were panting and drooling like crazy and the little one was non-responsive laying on the seat. It figures the owner walked out of the store and saw me breaking his window with a big screwdriver. This was long before the time of cell phones, so after yelling a few choice words back and forth at each other and him shoving me into the car next to his, I ran back in the store to call animal control and by the time I came out he had already gone. I had to wait 45 minutes until animal control finally showed up and gave her the jerks license plate number. I honestly don't know if the little dog ever made it or not. Maybe it didn't. Maybe that's why he took off so fast. What an *%#@*#%! ...I mean...lovely human being.
I would still do the same thing today in an extreme situation like that...even with cell phones we have now. Not a summer goes by where I make somebody feel really bad about themselves for leaving their dog locked in their car, whether the dog was in distress yet or not. Maybe it'll make them actually THINK next time and leave the dog(s) at home!
I feel the same way about dogs riding in the backs of trucks without being tied in with a safety harness too. But that's a whole other hub!
Keep up the good work!
Diana
Good for you Diana. We seem to be concerned about upsetting someone and allow their behaviour to hurt the innocents. I am so happy that you love animals so much. I do too. I had a woman at Home Depot go off on me. I had her paged to the front because her dog was out in a car in the direct sun. She was nasty and declared it was only a minute. I had been there at least 30 trying to get help for her poor dog. I wish every person had to be licensed to keep animals.
Thanks for the visit and great comments.
I think the flyers from mydogiscool.com are awesome.
nice job i like it thanks
I appreciate that daffodil2010.
Great write. Really needed to be read by all dog owners. Thanks and voted up.
Thank you arb. I appreciate the visit and the votes. I hope this Hub saves lives this Summer.
I grew up in Oklahoma, land of 110 degree summers with heat index reaching well into 130. I can't begin to tell you how many times I had to call the city animal shelter to fine an owner and break a poor dog out of a heat box. Some people should not be allowed to have pets.
I am so happy that you saved lives. I think every person should receive jail time for this. Even one night in a nasty cell would make them think twice before doing it again. Okay, I am stepping off the soapbox now.
Thanks for the visit cmahan.
I take my dog with me on days that are not too hot OR too cold, even if I'm running in for something. Cos she's an inside dog and I don't want her too cold either. If I seen a pet or child inside a car I would just run to my car for the tire iron and break the window on the other side and then just tell the police, so arrest me I don't care, better to spend a night in jail than know a pet or CHILD died. :( But for a child, I'd block the person in their space so they couldn't leave so CPS could make sure what kind of parent they were dealing with. Plus I have iPhone so I'd video everything.
Katharella, you are passionate and caring. Sometimes we must take action and deal with the consquences. I also would break a window to save a child. Thanks for reading and the great comment.
One time while I was working a customer came in to tell us that a dog was in a car with the windows all the way up in the middle of summer. I did not know that it might be illegal but my supervisor told them as far as she knew there was nothing we could do about it. I was very angry at the person who left the dog in the car that day. I think it all turned out ok thank goodness, but the idea of it still makes me angry!
mythicalstorm273, it breaks my heart to see suffering of any kind, especially the innocents. Our animals depend upon us to properly care for them. I think abusing an animal is a sin and we will answer to God for it.
thanks for visiting my Hub. I hope you found it informative.
Thank you Hyphenbird. I just couldn't let any animal or child suffer and I couldn't let them get away with it either! Like I said, they might take me to jail but I'm pretty sure any good judge would make them in trouble before me, and like I said I'd video it! And important for a baby to do it on the opposite side of the car. an animal will most likely come to either window, but i'd still do it. Besides the glass is made to shatter not sharp so really it could scare an animal.
Once I waited outside for a woman who left her baby in her truck running while she ran inside for something. I stayed there. When she came out, I got out and said "You are very lucky I sat here and baby sat your child, and you're lucky I didnt' call the police, but I wanted to tell you, what if I was a child thief for profit, your baby would be gone as well as your truck. Just as I started to walk away, she said "wait,... thank you, I'm so wrong and I needed that, I needed someone to remind me how valuable my baby is, thank you" and I said, you should never need anybody to remind you of that, just think of it every time you look at that childs face. Value every second of it's life, because you don't know when it could end. She said she would. I'm glad I waited for her because the next time might not have turned out so well. I bet the child got treated with a lot more positive attention after that too. Great hub, especially with summer here.
I hope the mother changed her ways indeed. Many people never get that second chance, you were a Godsend to her and her baby. I look out for animals and little children and elderly folk. Thank you for your compassion and caring.
You're welcome, I hope she did too. She really seem like I gave her a walk up call. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. And yes elderly as well! I took care of my dad, and being a caregiver is hard work, but when it's a labor of love, it's not labor at all. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror if I knew I didn't hold a door or help actually, anyone in need, especially children and old people. We really need to look out for them, sometimes even from their health providers. My dad was in the hospital and a neurologist gave him a pill, before I could get "what is the name of it" the nurse darted out the door. So if you know Michigan at all, in St Joseph Mercy hospital the rooms are singles so they don't pass on illnesses to others. Well, the TV has a thing where you can look at every drug they are on or given. When I seen "seroquel" on it, I quickly looked at the effects and warnings as I'd not heard of the drug. Um, big letters across the top said "do not give this drug to elderly patients! That night I sat up and watched him breath as well as kept watch on the monitors. But he was diabetic and was in such a deep sleep they had to give him both glucose and insulin because he wasn't awake long enough to eat or take his pill. He NEVER needed insulin! NEVER! I took care of dad's health and up with his medications since his open heart surgery's in the 80's. Needless to say, I told him he was not to see my dad again, and got up with his regular dr. and said for sleep, he needs a 5mg valium and he will wake up when it's time to eat. That's all dad took since I was a child so I know that he would wake when he got hungry and could have natural food to control his sugar! So gotta even watch out for those who we're supposed to trust. sadly! Thank you too for being a caring individual, I fear caring and compassion is thinning out!
I sadly agree with you. I see so many lonely and sad seniors who are endangered daily. They touch my heart so. And I know Jesus has a soft heart for them too. You are blessed to be a blessing to your dad.
.......stupid careless thoughtless humans who not only neglect and forget about their dogs but also small children and seniors - thank you for your concern and alarm as told through this cautionary hub article.
lake erie time 7:54am
p.s. - my deaf cat on a hot tin roof only allowed me three hours sleep last night before receiving his wish and being put outside to dance in the moonlight ....lol
Some people are stupid, some just do not care. A mentally handicapped child was left in a car just the other day on the hottest day of the year. I suppose the babysitter knew he couldn't tell, if he survived. Thankfully, someone saw him and called the police.
If your cat is deaf, he depends on the movement of stars to guide him in his dancing. How sweet of you to to help him out, or is that throw him out?!
What a perfect time for this to be brought back up! :) I went out yesterday with a friend, and you know here in NC it's been pretty toasty. My dog wanted to go so bad she brought me her "going out" collar (she's a Rottie, therefore must have her tagged collar) so she got a treat and had to stay home, but when we got back my friend took her for a ride around the block with the a/c! She came prancin' in like "hey I went out too."
Not that I need one, but this hub will be a little reminder to be on the lookout! In fact I think I'll toss my kit in the back of my truck. (has a steal rod) I didn't see this in the news about someone doing this again! What is wrong with this world!! :(
Hi Kathy. My dog begs to go with me also. It is so hard to say no, isn't it? Your girl sounds like a babydoll. I am ordering some flyers that I can place on cars. The little animals and children are prisoners in a hot car.
Thanks for reading-and caring. HB
She is. :) But ya know, when I look at her and her ears are perked up all cute, I know it's best for her to be home in a cool house... I don't feel as guilty, even if she pouts, I know it's for her own good! If you get time just scroll down and take a look at her, you'll see the big ol' ham she is! (I'm just proud to show her off she's sooo so good!) :) http://hubpages.com/hub/House-Training-Your-Rottwi (I'm going to have my friend make his tshirts up):) Thx for the idea!
I was in a store today taking back some items. I knew it would take me awhile. There was a lady behind me and I could tell she was getting upset with the time it was taking. When I got finished I heard her say. "I need to check out my dog is in the car." It was 74 today. It took all I could do to not turn around and ask her why didn't she leave her dog at home. I had seen her walking around the store and knew she had been there for awhile. How foolish can people be that take their dogs to town when they know they have shopping to do.
Good Hub.
Hello moonlake. Sounds like the lady was using the poor dog as an excuse to be taken ahead of others. Our pets are like our children, we must make safe choices for their benefit. I agree with you. She should have left the dog at home. My little Bichon begs to go everywhere with me but I tell her no for her well being. I will never understand people.
Thanks for coming by. Hyph
I have a long haired dog(Sheltie), who suffers from the heat. When my daughter walks him when it is hot, she has instructions to walk him on the grass, not the sidewalk and to just walk out under the trees and just let him be out there for a short time. She can exercise him after dark when it is cooler. He was coming in all panting and exhausted because she walks him at least a mile every time she walked him. She loves to walk. We have to watch how long they are out in the heat as well, especially with long hair.
Hi Becky. Your Sheltie sounds so sweet. These little dogs do not have an excess of stamina. People need to think. Your daughter loves him I know. She probably just gets into her walk and forgets. At least he is not in a hot car. Poor doggies-and children too!
Thanks for sharing this hub Brenda;how often do we hear that some poor dog has died through being shut in a car on a boiling hot day ;and do other take heed fro this
The reply to this being NO!!
More messages like this hub should posted here and there.
Take care and enjoy your weekend Brenda.
Eddy
Hello Eiddwen. It happens all the time. I will never understand how people can be so thoughtless and cruel. I hope many people read articles like this and take it to heart. I love my baby Bella too much to give into her begging and let her suffer in the heat. Thanks for your compassionate heart.
Poohgranma Level 6 Commenter 13 months ago
I hope everyone reads and remembers this! I have ... never mind ... don't even get me started. Some people should just not have animals at all!