There’s a sticker on my car window that reads, “Too Hot for Spot.” It’s a warning that leaving a dog in a hot car for even a few minutes can be lethal. Yes, you’d think it would be obvious, but some people don’t have a handle on the principle of cause and effect.
And some, like the woman I recently exchanged pleasantries with, ignore it.
It was hot and muggy—typical summer weather here on Virginia’s coast—and she’d parked directly in the sun, shut the windows tight and gone shopping. She did leave the A/C on, as if that guaranteed her dog’s safety. Engines shut off all the time—hers did while I was calling 911—and it’s dogs who pay the price, like the police K-9 in California who was left in a patrol car for 90 minutes. The car’s warning system didn’t activate because the engine had died.
When I saw this dog, I rushed into the store and asked an employee to page the driver, only to be told that they weren’t set up for that. My second “suggestion,” that he gets on the intercom and have the sales staff ask around their department, didn’t go anywhere, either. At that moment, I didn’t have time to tell him what I thought of his “response,” but that was probably a good thing.
The woman finally came out while I was talking to the 911 dispatcher, and after she drove off—we didn’t exactly part as best friends—I went back inside and spoke with an assistant manager. I told him that an Amber Alert–type plan needed to be put in place and was assured that he would discuss it with the store manager.
Every business, whether it’s a big-box store or a mom-and-pop shop, should be ready to respond to emergencies like this. PETA, where I work, has already documented the deaths of at least 29 children and 40 animals in hot cars this summer—and the heat isn’t going away anytime soon.
But it’s not just someone else’s responsibility. Each of us must be willing to take action, too.
Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a car in the shade and with the windows slightly open can reach over 90 degrees within 10 minutes. If the car is parked in the sun, the temperature can climb to 125 to 130 degrees within an hour. Dogs don’t sweat like us—they regulate their body temperature primarily by panting, which is no defense against temperatures like that.
They can also sustain brain damage or die of heatstroke in just 15 minutes. The symptoms of heatstroke in dogs are similar to those in humans: an elevated heart rate, excessive panting, rapid breathing, dizziness, an altered mental state, vomiting.
Now, imagine the agony of being trapped in a steel coffin while wearing a fur coat as you cook from the inside out.
That’s why we have to step up.
If you see a dog in a hot car, act quickly. Have local businesses page the vehicle’s owner, and if he or she can’t be located right away, call the authorities, including emergency personnel. Don’t leave until help arrives—and if it doesn’t get there fast enough, find witnesses who will back your assessment of the situation and then take steps to free the dog.
Do whatever it takes.
Of course, the best thing we can do to protect our dogs from the searing heat is not to bring them with us in the first place. Leave them home, where they’ll be cool, comfortable and safe.
Now if only everyone would follow that advice.
Do you want to be part of creating a kinder, more inclusive society?
Photo Credit: Pixabay