This is a great warning. Ive gotten away from putting harnesses and leashes on my boys when we are in the car, but I will get back to it again. I always think its a good idea to have their harness/leash on whenever you are out of the house. Its always easier to keep a hold on your pup if (god forbid) someone tries things like that! Im glad your baby is still safe with you! :)

maybe she ment well...(yorkies r so darn cute)I myself feel sorry for little dogs barking in cars,I always look if I hear barking... Around here they have security going around looking for people leaving dogs unattended... I know one time police waited for the owner to come to a car

But in this instance, I don't think her yorkie was barking in the car at all. Even if she was, the woman didn't show up until after the owners returned and was getting ready to leave. The stranger just treated someone else's property as a free-for-all petting zoo and tugging at the pet for possession is inexcusable. Even if you forced pats onto someone else's dog, it doesn't give you the right to take it into your arms no matter if it was barking or not, which I highly doubt it was.

As for police waiting for the owner, my husband's former co-worker had her little dog in the car (if I recall correctly, it was a chihuahua) since she didn't think straight I suppose, when she decided to go to the local zoo on a hot summer's day and obviously, couldn't take the dog inside. She left the window to her BMW open. I don't even believe that's enough. Sure enough, RCMP came along (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), smashed her car window (when they could very well have reached inside and unlocked it) and took the dog in. She had to pay the fine to pick her dog up, receive a lecture, and of course, she had to pay out to repair her window.

I know how you feel. You just get a strange feeling that something may not be right.
I took my youngest into Petsmart after a vet visit. I had her in the basket in a softsided carrier with the top unzipped so she could stick her head out and see everyone. This lady came up and before I knew it, had her scooped up in her arms. A cold chill came over me and I immediately started thinking about what I am going to do if this lady did not give her back. She lifted Zoey up to her face and let her give kisses and then put her down, whew. I have not stopped thinking about it since, you just can't be too careful.

This is really a wake-up call! When Cash was still a puppy, I took him to the mall with me and as I entered one store, the sales lady came over, took him and walked to the back of the store. I freaked out, followed her and took him back in a huff. I never go to that store now.
But I guess I am lucky in a way: the breeder I got Cash from had a young son and he wasn't taught how to handle a puppy correctly. He would pick them up awkwardly and hurt them. So now, Cash is very wary of strangers. The only way he will allow a stranger near him is when I am holding him.
I used to worry that someone might take him when he escaped from our yard (where we lived last year), but he is so damn fast and cheeky, no one ever got near him. :cool:
I guess having a slightly anti-social, wary and cheeky dog has its advantages.;)

Yes, that was an odd experience for you with that woman .However, I do not ever leave Suzi alone in a car , ever. If I am uncomfortable taking her inside a store , I just don't go in. i have taken her into the video store, Circle K with me, no issues. The Super walmart will let small carried in dogs in as long as they are not in the food area. I do believe there are a lot more shopping centers now that have seurity cameras everywhere in parking lots, however this still will not prevent a dumb ass from taking someone's animal right out of a car. :thumbdown

Ditto!

That is so true. A few months ago, a lady here in GA had her car stolen with two small dogs in it. The car was found, but the dogs weren't. I always keep Prince's carrier in my car, so if we are out and about and I need to stop somewhere, I put him in his carrier and take him with me. No one knows he's in there. I've done that at Hallmark, Barnes and Noble and Macy's. There is no way on earth I would leave him in the car by hmself. I would drop him off at home before doing that.

oh, wow, that is certaintly scary, I never leave my pups in the car alone, if we take them and we need to stop in a store that we can't take them one of us stays with them. also I am glad my pup is microchiped for creeps like that, they can't claim my dog :p the information is inside her..glad your pup is safe.
hugs.
Carmen in nj

Good Morning all..it's funny I came across this post..this Saturday morning I took my Bryan to get his face trimmed and nails cut at Petsmart in Yonkers NY...well I dropped him off and usually go across the parking lot to Pathmark to do a little shopping until he's readyn well when I came out of the store as I loading my groceriesin my car and I see this tiny red sweater in the front seat of a small car parked nxt to mine...upon a closer look I realized it was a small yorkie left unattended I couldn't believe it!!!! Who the #*@"(? Would leave a small defenseless puppy in the parking lot of. Supermarket by his self.... I was sooo mad I started to call the police..if I'm going some where and cannot take Bryan I just leave him at home... Oooh did I mention that it was also snowing...people r crazy

Where we live dog snatching is not as much of a worry.

Even so, I never leave Tosh in the car during the day even for a few moments because I'm afraid something might happen to me (like tripping and banging my head or getting struck be a vehicle on a crosswalk) and I won't get back to him. :(

If I have to go somewhere he can't go I leave him at home.

I take my babies everywhere!!! While I grocery shop they are in the cart in a carrier. I have only had one person ever try to deny me entry! I just walked out one door and came in another!!! :D

I could never leave my babies in the car!!! Not in todays world!!!

In Arizona ppl leave their dogs in the car in the smoldering heat!! We even had a police officer leave his german shepard, partner in the back of his patrol car. It died! He said he forgot he had him with him!!! :eek:
How could you forget?

I think they charged him!!! If I was the judge I would make him sit in a hot car for a few hours with a fur coat on!!!:mad:

I know! I used to just leave my car on with the ac/heat (depending on time of year) and lock the doors while I ran into the store. Now, I take the extra 15 minutes to take my guys back home after work before going anywhere!

Thats not fair. You have NO Idea how long that person was in the store or why they had to leave their pup there. 5 mins alone in the car when its not boiling hot is not going to kill the dog. Yes, they do run the risk of someone stealing their dog though. I am kind of tired of hearing this from people. I need to stop at a store on my way home from my boyfriends when I have my dogs sometimes. They are alone in the car for 5 mins. No one has the right to think or say that I am not a good owner because of that. Please, think or watch before saying something to someone else. Its not fair to them that they get accused or something (especially neglect or abuse) because someone else just reacted without the facts. I know I'd be soooo upset and hurt if someone thought I abused or neglected my dogs when they are my life and I treat them like they are my children.

No hard feelings.... :) :)

IMO, Its just a bad idea, period. Like it or not, most states have laws regarding this and the laws are written so that a violation is left up to the interpretation of an officer.

Maryland: It is against the law in most jurisdictions to leave a pet unattended in a standing or parked motor vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety of the animal.

Even if you are only in a store for 5 minutes, if an officer comes along and in his/her opinion the pets health or safety is endangered, you're going to be cited or worse. It won't matter what you say.

A quick web search reveals the following dangers:


It takes only minutes for a pet left in a vehicle on a warm day to succumb to heatstroke and suffocation. Most people don't realize how hot it can get in a parked car on a balmy day. However, on a 78 degree day, temperatures in a car parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees -- and hit a scorching 160 degrees if parked in the sun!

Even when the outside air temperature is in the 60s, temperatures inside some vehicles can reach the danger zone on bright, sunny days. So many experts recommend not to leave pets or children in parked cars even for short periods if the temperature is in the 60s or higher.

Rolling down a window or parking in the shade doesn't guarantee protection either, since temperatures can still climb into the danger zone. And if the window is rolled down sufficiently, the pet can escape. Plus if a passer-by claims he or she was bitten through the car window, the pet owner will be liable.

What about leaving the dog in the car with the air-conditioning running? Many people do this, but tragedy can strike -- and it has. For example, in 2003, a police dog in Texas died after the air-conditioning in the patrol car shut down and began blowing hot air. The air system's compressor kicked off because the engine got too hot. Many cars, including modern models with computerized functions, are prone to the same problem. In August 2004, a North Carolina couple lost two of their beloved dogs, and nearly lost their third dogs, as result of a similar failure. They had left bowls of water and ice in the car, and the air-conditioning on, during their shopping trip of less than 30 minutes.
Animals are not able to sweat like humans do. Dogs cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paws. If they have only overheated air to breathe, animals can collapse, suffer brain damage and possibly die of heatstroke. Just 15 minutes can be enough for an animal's body temperature to climb from a normal 102.5 to deadly levels that will damage the nervous and cardiovascular systems, often leaving the animal comatose, dehydrated and at risk of permanent impairment or death.