Every year we try to remind dog owners that it is a misdemeanor to leave a dog in a vehicle during the hot temperatures. Every year we hear of dogs dying from being left in a vehicle while the owner runs into the store for just a few minutes. This year we all need to be more aggressive, more alert in our campaign to stop owners from leaving their dogs in their vehicles.

When you see a dog confined in a vehicle in the heat of summer, even if the windows are left open a “couple of inches” for fresh air, please get on your phone and call the nearest local police department and insist they send an officer immediately to take care of the situation.

Calling the local police later when you arrive home isn’t going to help the dog and it becomes your word against the dog owners. The police need to see the dog in the vehicle and take necessary action to rescue the dog from the hot car.

Please take a close look at the hot car safety photo in this post and you can see that if the outside temperature is 75 degrees, the inside temperature of the car is going to be a much higher 118 degrees. This is too hot for a dog to withstand for any length of time. A dog’s normal temperature is 101.5 to 102.2 degrees and anything above that is a risk for the dog just as for a human. The dog does not have to be “foaming at the mouth” or showing signs of distress for the police to take necessary action. The brain is already starting irreparable damage between 107 and 108 degrees. It could be too late if you wait to call the police or for the police to wait until the dog is distressed before action is taken.

Let’s all work together and if you see a dog in a car on a hot day, make the call.

It should also be noted that you need to have proper shelter, out of the direct sunlight, for a dog that is tied out during the summer. Move your dog house into the shade so the dog can stay relatively cool in the summer months.

If at anytime anyone has concerns or questions on proper care, treatment or shelter requirements, you can call my office during working hours and I will be glad to talk to you about them.

Steve Sprowl, Manager of Field Services 

603-772-2921 x 111