It’s summer. The sultry season when passing through a sizzling asphalt parking lot makes dog lovers automatically scan rows of cars for signs of a pooch baking inside one. I wish I could report that I rarely see a pet locked in with the windows cracked, virtually trapped until its owner returns from an errand, but it happens with disturbing regularity.
In May, two greyhounds were left in a Vermont car on a sunny spring day in the seventies - pitch perfect temperature for humans - but roasting inside the vehicle by midday. One dog died, the other required emergency veterinary care, and their owner was charged with animal cruelty.
Vermont is one of a handful of states where it’s illegal to leave an animal unattended in a parked vehicle if it will endanger its health or safety. The law allows for its removal through reasonable force by a humane officer or fire and rescue service personnel. Still, many dogs have perished inside overheated vehicles due to reluctance by passersby to intervene or from having to wait too long for rescuers to arrive.
According to a Stanford University study, on a mild day of just 72 degrees, a car's internal temperature can rocket to 116 degrees within 60 minutes. Keeping all four windows cracked hardly slows the rise at all. Without the ability to perspire, a panting dog left inside for just twenty minutes will begin to suffer the early signs of heat stroke that result in irreversible brain and organ damage. Simply put, hot cars are death traps for dogs.
In Brattleboro, hot pooches will benefit from a campaign to raise public awareness. Several parking lots are posted with signs that warn drivers about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars. Anyone who ignores the signs and leaves their furry best friend in a vehicle in summer, runs the risk of turning the car into a sweat lodge. And while some pet owners think it’s safe to leave Fido inside with windows up and the engine and air conditioning running, a stalled engine can turn the vehicle into a greenhouse in minutes while the owner does errands or goes out to lunch.
The website MyDogIsCool.com reports that a dog in a hot car will exhibit signs of distress by pacing, panting, drooling and attempting to climb through the window. The best way to help is to call 911 or the local animal control agency with information about the vehicle and location. Staff in nearby stores may also be willing to make announcements to help locate the car owner. It should be treated like the medical emergency it is.
Newspaper articles about dogs who perished in superheated cars report that they were usually left behind while owners went shopping - and we all know how easy it is to lose track of time at the mall. None of us would choose to be locked in a sweltering car while wearing a heavy fur coat. So if we want to avoid a tragedy, and do our best friend a favor on a warm, summer day, we’ll leave the pooch at home.
