man saves yorkie from hot car, then arrested

[chestermama]

She is the one that needs to be in jail, crazy woman, he was a hero

[Lovetodream88]

Considering yorkies are high on the list of dog stolen they shouldn't be left in a vehicle period. Even if you are gone for five minutes that's long enough and you may think it's fine because you can see your vehicle but a thief knows to more fast and your dog could be gone before you can get to the car.

[Opium88]

I agree with Russpilot....

. frankly, from what I have seen of kids and "parenting" these days, I would rather leave most kids in hot cars and I'll save the Yorkie, thank you very much.

My sentiments exactly. Minus the expletives I would have included for effect.

[Opium88]

BTW, I fail miserably at correctly quoting anybody it seems. E for effort my mom always said!

[Opium88]

And in reference to Love to dream,...you are absolutely correct. I mean, for Christ's sake, they weigh less than a gallon of milk! And cost more than most peoples wardrobes. Part of our affinity for them derives from from the fact that they are "portable". Why the hell do you take them with you if you aren't gonna carry them with you? Right? We wouldn't set a beautiful shiny diamond ring on our dashboard before we got out of the car , so why would you leave a yorkie all alone on display for some degenerate to translate into ($)pportunity? they certainly won't let a piece of glass come between them and a quick come up. Never leave them in a car like that. No common sense with people these days, huh? Sorry for the rant...lol

[Belladea]

My thoughts exactly, I would never leave Zoey (who is only 2 and 1/4 lbs) in a car even for a minute. That would be like leaving a diamond ring in plain sight and hoping nobody likes or wants a diamond ring! She wouldn't be safe from thieves or excessive cold or heat and that's good enough reason to never do something sooooo foolish. I am sure all of you feel the same way about your babies..... that's why we all find this subject so upsetting, however we feel about how to handle it.

[ironmike86]

Originally Posted by maxdog

I am not sure there is an "other side" to this thread because I believe the rants here are directed at those "idiots" who leave their dog in a car on a hot day. The story that started this was one of those people. She said she was only gone 5 minutes but all the witnesses said it was a lot longer. She was probably getting her nails done while her dog was roasting. Responsible people like yourself would not do that, but there are boneheads who would. I agree with you that common sense must be used before breaking someone's window but once it has been established that an animal could be in grave danger - find me a brick.

I am fortunate to have a remote starter and there has probably been 3 times that I have left Max and/or Sasha in the car. Not only were they comfy in the car (winter or summer) but I NEVER let them out of my line of sight. I am more afraid of someone trying to steal them!

I agree there is no other side. But leaving your car unattended in MY STATE is only legal on Your Private property.. Public streets or public places its illegal. Me If its hot and I have my dogs almost any convenience store will let me bring them in. MY 6lb 10 oz Moki and 3lb 8oz Winnie I can easily carry with one arm. But hot weather I always have water on hand for all of us . So most likely wont need to get a drink. Ever been stuck in a traffic jam?? It can happen and has to me. 3-4 hrs not moving. Hot weather. Water should always be with you no matter what. Hot or cold. JMO

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by ironmike86

I agree there is no other side. But leaving your car unattended in MY STATE is only legal on Your Private property.. Public streets or public places its illegal. Me If its hot and I have my dogs almost any convenience store will let me bring them in. MY 6lb 10 oz Moki and 3lb 8oz Winnie I can easily carry with one arm. But hot weather I always have water on hand for all of us . So most likely wont need to get a drink. Ever been stuck in a traffic jam?? It can happen and has to me. 3-4 hrs not moving. Hot weather. Water should always be with you no matter what. Hot or cold. JMO

We carry water bottles at all times.

I am way too afraid to leave my doggies in the car alone even for a second.

People often think they are gone for only '5 minutes', but their sense of time is completely distorted. It is usually more like 30 minutes or over an hour.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by Britster

Those were just examples off the top of my head. Of course I go through drive-throughs whenever possible. Very occasionally, it's something that cannot be bought through one, and I'm not going to drive home when it's a perfectly breezy day and Jackson is totally content in the car, I even have a small fan and a cooling pad even though I wouldn't ever leave him in the car long enough (or at all if hot enough) for them to be necessary anyway.

I have sat in the car, all windows up before on a 70 degree day and was perfectly fine for at least 30 minutes in a shady spot.

My only point is that YES by all means save a dog in true distress but other measures should be taken first before busting open someones window. If someone did that to my car while I ran into 711 for 2 minutes to grab something, Jackson would likely bite if tried to be picked up, or run away and possibly into traffic.

Are there idiot owners out there who simply... don't care? Yep. And it sucks. I have called the cops before when a friend and I were in the mall parking lot eating with our dogs in our car and we saw a dog in a car on a pretty hot day for at LEAST 30-40 mins. To me that's just plain stupid. I would never ever leave Jackson in a car to run into a mall, or a grocery store, or anything where I couldn't see him through the windows or knew I was going to be longer than 5 mins. But those of us who are responsible dog owners shouldn't be punished because of certain idiots. And I know it's a fine line, it's hard to be so black/white, because I get it. I do. It's better to be proactive than not caring. But if you see a dog in a car, just WAIT, think, before calling police or busting open windows and ask yourself the questions that I posted in my last post.

When I am alone -- if my car has been in our garage, max temp outdoors 80 degrees, I will often drive for about 20 -30 minutes before I remember to turn on the a/c or crack a window. But I have a really low body temp. If the dogs are with me, no way! That a/c would be on before I left our driveway.

I disagree with a bunch of stuff in the Facebook post. For instance, dogs do not become acclimated to the heat inside a car. Sure my dogs can tolerate more heat and humidity than say Eddie and Jillie in Alaska, and vice versa on cold. But watch the videos by vets, cops, and others showing how cars become ovens even in the shade on a hot day.

I get nervous just walking my dogs outside on hot days. When the tongues reach a certain length of extension and curl, I know it is time to get somewhere cool.

I think there was a case last year in which the car was running and the a/c on high, and someone broke the window to rescue the dog. That one left me scratching my head -- how they couldn't detect that the car was running.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by YazminD

My son shared this story on my FB page last night. It's horrible that the owner insisted the man to be arrested, it should've been the other way around!
Man Busts Window to Help Dog, Gets Arrested Anyway - Life With Dogs

I work in a restaurant and I'm always shocked at customers who leave dogs locked up in hot cars! One summer there was an elderly couple who left a Maltese in a car with leather seats! It was 97 degrees that day and the humidity was horrible! Within less than five minutes that poor dog's face was drenching wet with sweat and she was panting terribly with no way to escape the hot sun! I confronted the couple and asked them if I could give her water and could they please roll down the windows at least enough that the dog could breath fresh air! The elderly man spoke up immediatly and said that there was no way he'd crack the windows, that he was sure someone would try to steal her while they ate! He then proudly told me how he and his wife had just rescued the dog from a kill shelter in Florida a few days prior to arriving in Ohio! OMG! Fortunately I was able to convince him to stay with the dog until their meal was ready and then he allowed each waitress to sit with her while each of them took their breaks. Unfortunately, I see this abuse all too often but it's been a lot less since I posted a "Don't Cook Your Dog" at the front door entrance for all the customers to see before they enter!

We walk near restaurants that are popular with interstate travelers and often see dogs left in the car. Thankfully not on hot days, but if this does happen, I will pick up my dogs and walk into the restaurant to have the manager find the person. If that doesn't work, I'll call the police. They are usually nearby for the hospital.

[navillusc]

Originally Posted by Britster

I'm somewhere in the middle on this one. I do get it, the guy was trying to help and I think it's great that he was concerned. But I don't think this new fad of 'breaking windows open' should start happening too often. I see posts all over FB and I'm glad there's awareness but I shouldn't be afraid to leave my dog in the car while I run into the drug store for less than 3 minutes to grab a bottle of water or something. I travel a lot with Jackson, I travel between houses, I'm a pet sitter, and it's not always feasible to bring him back home. If I have 4 let outs for the day and all of them are dogs that he enjoys and gets to walk/play with, I'm not going to leave him home simply because I may have to run into a store quickly to... drop off a prescription, or buy a bottle of water, or something. Jackson would be traumatized for LIFE if someone busted open my window and tried to grab him. I'm not an idiot and I won't leave him in the car at all during most of the summer when it's hot and humid. But there's nothing wrong with cracking the windows open on a 75 degree day and parking in the shade.

This post sums up my thoughts:

I wouldn't want an animal to suffer or be abused...ever...but things are different enough today that people are stealing them from fenced yards and locked homes in the name of rescue. I don't know if having served for the federal government, with or without admitting/claiming post traumatic stress syndrome, qualifies anyone to determine distress or validating destruction of property. I am not saying he was trying to steal the Yorkie, or that he didn't believe he was doing a 'right' thing. I am only mentioning that sometimes all the facts are not necessarily printed in every case. The owner of dog and car is now involved in a private legal matter with the self-proclaimed rescuer, and my opinion, if I had one...valid or not, is moot anyway. LOL.

I am glad the dog is okay. The window can be repaired, but I wonder how the owner and Yorkie will 'feel' after this experience. Having been burgled, I understand the feelings of violation and insecurity. I also understand the fear of returning and finding someone has let your dogs out of a safe enclosed space, too.

[YazminD]

Originally Posted by Maximo

We walk near restaurants that are popular with interstate travelers and often see dogs left in the car. Thankfully not on hot days, but if this does happen, I will pick up my dogs and walk into the restaurant to have the manager find the person. If that doesn't work, I'll call the police. They are usually nearby for the hospital.

I wish more people were more like you. I don't think most people realize it takes 15 to 20 minutes to receive their meal in most sit down restaurants and then another 30 minutes to eat all the while they're sitting in air conditioning. A dog left in a car for 45 + minutes on a hot humid day, no water, windows rolled up, no shade...IMO that's cruel!

I know this question's a bit off subject but I have to ask! Lol I described finding a dog in a hot car as sweating and panting. If dogs don't have the ability to sweat then how would anyone describe Yazmin's condition in the photo below? While playing YHR's trivia game on YT last July, Yazmin was playing soccer with her favorite ball on a very hot, humid day. Within 5 minutes I had to hide her ball, fearing she'd suffer from a heat stroke. I posted Yazmin's photo at the time only to have people ask me if I had turned a water hose on her to cool her down at the time...No...In my mind she was sweating! Lol

[Britster]

Originally Posted by YazminD

I know this question's a bit off subject but I have to ask! Lol I described finding a dog in a hot car as sweating and panting. If dogs don't have the ability to sweat then how would anyone describe Yazmin's condition in the photo below? While playing YHR's trivia game on YT last July, Yazmin was playing soccer with her favorite ball on a very hot, humid day. Within 5 minutes I had to hide her ball, fearing she'd suffer from a heat stroke. I posted Yazmin's photo at the time only to have people ask me if I had turned a water hose on her to cool her down at the time...No...In my mind she was sweating! Lol

Lol, no idea except maybe dew from the humidity and grass? I've never seen a dog get 'wet' looking just from being hot.

Do Dogs Sweat?

[Russpilot]

cited Elantra Cunningham, 22, of Athens, with leaving a dog in a hot car.

This woman is lucky that my days of finding these idiots on social media and unleashing my hacking buddies on them is behind me. This fool needs to be called out and shamed mercilessly in public. Not to mention someone needs to take that poor animal before she kills it.

[maxdog]

Someone beat you to it.


Atrocious People, Part I: The Dog Rescuer, Elantra Cunningham, And What To Do About Her | Ethics Alarms