Don't Sit With Dogs in Hot Cars!!

[YorkOfTheShire]

I was thinking today of all the poor dogs who are "left in cars" while their owners go grocery shopping or to the mall, etc...only to die. It got me thinking that the word "left" shouldn't really be in the equation (in my opinion). =/

I have seen people in parked (not running) cars with dogs at the grocery store (waiting for their spouse or friend who is inside the store I would assume) - for long periods of time - and I have said something every time.

Please note that this is worse than leaving the dog by itself in the car - do you think somehow the dog is cooler because your body is parked in the seat too?

...the climate in a car doesn't get cooler or more tolerable with a person in the car unless the car is running and the a/c is on!

If nothing else - it's worse for the dog as it's hotter in there with a human being in the car and worst of all if they're holding it in their lap which adds body heat to the equation.

Please leave your dogs at home - where it is (hopefully) climate controlled - when you go shopping!

(I never cease to be amazed at the lack of brain activity in some otherwise healthy individuals)

[rubymoon2072]

well said!!

[My lil friend]

If Mina and I are waiting in the car,you can bet that the windows are up and the A/C is on. It has been in the upper 90s and lower 100s here. Why on earth would ANYONE sit in a hot car?!! It not healthy for you or the dog or the kids or the elderly person that I sometimes see sitting in the car while someone "just runs" in to the store.

[KazzyK810]

Surely if the temperature is comfortable for a person, it would be ok for their dog? If it becomes uncomfortable for a person, they would just open the door & get out...and take the dog with them.

[Nancy1999]

I think the misunderstanding comes from the fact that most people who leave their dogs alone in a car, roll up all the windows or just open them up a crack which has little effect in keeping it cool. A car with the windows rolled up, gets much hotter than a car with the windows rolled down, when you are in the car with your dog, you can leave the windows down and the cars temperature is no hotter than the outside temperature. However, with window up, it's 20 or 30 degrees hotter.

[Angels Mom]

My girls go with me lots of places. But if I can't take them in then I don't go in. We get lots of attention so everyone knows we're there. They love it. I would never sit in a hot car myself so if it's not good for me, it's worse for them. They have the equivelant to a fur coat on all the time. You are correct, some people don't think about what their doing.

[YorkOfTheShire]

Originally Posted by KazzyK810

Surely if the temperature is comfortable for a person, it would be ok for their dog? If it becomes uncomfortable for a person, they would just open the door & get out...and take the dog with them.

You'd think most people would do that, yes - unfortunately not everyone understands that concept, apparently.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I think the misunderstanding comes from the fact that most people who leave their dogs alone in a car, roll up all the windows or just open them up a crack which has little effect in keeping it cool. A car with the windows rolled up, gets much hotter than a car with the windows rolled down, when you are in the car with your dog, you can leave the windows down and the cars temperature is no hotter than the outside temperature. However, with window up, it's 20 or 30 degrees hotter.

I sit outside with my dogs, in the yard every single day...from 8:30am, until 12"30pm.....we are in shade, filtered shade, occasionally, the sunshine for the Vit.D...just about 15-20 minutes in sunshine is all it takes....no body is allowed to get over heated and we go back inside for our naps, from 1-4:30pm....then we are back out until it gets dark....was 8pm just a week and a half ago, seems now it is down to around 7:30pm......but I am thinking if I can sit outside with my babies, I can sit in a parked car, holding my dog, with the windows down, usually parked in the shade, while my son runs insde the store for a loaf of bread, or a gallon of milk, or to deposit a check. The ambient temp inside the car is, as nancy points out, the same as the outside temp....if I can not tolerate being outside, then I can not and will not, sit in the car, even with the windows down, with my baby. A word of caution....your a/c will only cool for a short period of time with the car in park, in a hot parking lot. There have been several police dogs that have died in the back seat of the police car, with the windows up and the a/c running cold.....it stopped cooling and the car heated up and the dogs died....so dont leave your baby in a parked car with the windows up, even with the a/c running....

[Lovetodream88]

When me, my mom and grandma are out and have Callie, my grandma who can't walk to much anyway from a COPD will stay in the car with the A/C on with Callie and I will set Callie up front with my grandma and they both just love to watch all the people while me and my mom run in for something but we never do just casual shopping while they are out there though just a run in. I feel so bad for dogs who are left in cars with or without people and there it is hot and even when its freezing.

[JMuedog]

Originally Posted by KazzyK810

Surely if the temperature is comfortable for a person, it would be ok for their dog? If it becomes uncomfortable for a person, they would just open the door & get out...and take the dog with them.

This is what I was thinking. I don't see anything wrong w/ sitting in a car with my dog. If I'm not overheating why would my dog...

[CouversMom]

I have sat in the car with my two for short trips, but like others have said... if it gets too hot, I just turn the car on and blast the a/c. I don't see a problem with it.

[southernbelle04]

If KS ever sits in the car with me while the hubby goes in or vice versa, we always leave the car running. She loves the ac blowing on her face.

[YorkOfTheShire]

I think a some of you are (maybe) misunderstanding me...so I'm here to clarify. I said in my initial post that it was for long periods of time that these dogs are confined in hot cars with their owners. If it's a quick stop for a loaf of bread or something that's fine (imo) we do that all the time (hubby goes in and I stay with the dogs).

However - these people I am referring to are sitting in the parking lot with dogs in cars for close to an hour or more and it has been extremely hot here lately. The only reason i know this is because they're still there when we come back outside from doing our heavy grocery shopping (and our dogs are at home during those long shopping trips).

What they are doing in a parked, unrunning car for that long? Good question and I don't know the answer. All I know is that when a dog has his/her tongue hanging out its mouth, panting in a car - it's too ruddy hot.

[Harrysmum]

Just a quick 'ask' please....

Over here, many/most of us do our grocery shopping online (by all the 'major' supermarkets), and have it all delivered to our front-door - in fact, to our kitchen worktops, if we smile nicely......

It's saves hours of trawling up and down the aisles, hunting for parking spaces, LOADS of fuel - and of course having to worry about our Littlies Do you have this service in the USA? Sally + Harry x

[CouversMom]

Originally Posted by Harrysmum

Just a quick 'ask' please....

Over here, many/most of us do our grocery shopping online (by all the 'major' supermarkets), and have it all delivered to our front-door - in fact, to our kitchen worktops, if we smile nicely......

It's saves hours of trawling up and down the aisles, hunting for parking spaces, LOADS of fuel - and of course having to worry about our Littlies Do you have this service in the USA? Sally + Harry x

I have heard of this before, but I don't think it's a common thing. I know my dh's granny would have her groceries delivered to her door, but that was in Canada.

It would be great if I could do all my grocery shopping online! That would save so much time