Leaving Dogs In (hot) Cars

[*Avanti*]

I was pleased to read about this being given some serious attention:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/pets-in-danger-of-being-hot-under-the-collar-if-left-in-vehicles/story-fni0fee2-1226798434494

DOG owners are being warned they could face prosecution if they leave their pets in hot cars this summer.

With the mercury tipped to soar this week, the RSPCA are warning pet owners to not leave their furry friends behind the wheel.

Animals left in cars suffer horrific injuries including extreme stress, organ failure and seizures.

RSPCA Senior Inspector Simon Primrose warned temperatures in vehicles could be double the outside heat and animals could die in less than six minutes.

"Last year we had an incident of a young Labrador who was left inside a car on a 35 degree day, with no water or shade.

"This dog suffered a horrific death and endured heat stroke as a result of being exposed to extreme temperatures,'' he said.

"If found guilty of an offence of this type the accused could face up to two years imprisonment, $71,000 in fines and the prospect of receiving a banning order being a person prohibited from owning/being in charge of an animal for up to ten years."

(Edited to include '(hot)' in thread title)

Edited January 12, 2014 by LabTested

[Dame Aussie]

Good.

I hope people take notice, I just find the fact that some still do this incomprehensible.

[kelpiecuddles]

A friend of mine called the police on someone that did this a couple of weeks ago, the response was great, the shopping centre security stayed at the car keeping a close eye on the dog to ensure it didn't get distressed and were ready to break a window if they felt it was needed and the police were waiting for the owner when they came back to the car. Great to see such a response.

[dotdashdot]

Good! I work in a pet store, and people are allowed to bring their dogs in, but some still leave them in cars! Not necessarily our customers, some visit the Salvation Army store that we share a carpark with, but we would happily allow a dog to be tied up outside our store (in the shade and where we provide water) rather than see a dog in a car. Now if I catch anyone doing it, I will remind them of the law.

[kelpiecuddles]

Weird question, can you still be charged if there is no danger of the car heating up? For example we often travel interstate and if we stop for supplies part way we always park in an cool underground car park or if it's 10 degrees and pouring with rain I'll happily leave them in the car while I go in for five minutes to get what I need, never when there is even a slight danger of the car getting even warm let alone hot. I feel they are safer there than tied up outside the shop(especially having an uncommon breed)

[Christina]

Weird question, can you still be charged if there is no danger of the car heating up? For example we often travel interstate and if we stop for supplies part way we always park in an cool underground car park or if it's 10 degrees and pouring with rain I'll happily leave them in the car while I go in for five minutes to get what I need, never when there is even a slight danger of the car getting even warm let alone hot. I feel they are safer there than tied up outside the shop(especially having an uncommon breed)

No, because the dog is not in any danger. Would only apply to the idiots leaving them in hot cars. However even if only a slight touch warm one dare not leave a small gap in the top of the window with it open a little because now some police will fine you for that too.

Its good & about time they got tougher about the dogs in hot car part.

[Kirislin]

Weird question, can you still be charged if there is no danger of the car heating up? For example we often travel interstate and if we stop for supplies part way we always park in an cool underground car park or if it's 10 degrees and pouring with rain I'll happily leave them in the car while I go in for five minutes to get what I need, never when there is even a slight danger of the car getting even warm let alone hot. I feel they are safer there than tied up outside the shop(especially having an uncommon breed)

I often leave mine in the car on a cool day, and they love it. Sometimes when I get home they dont want to get out of the car. :laugh: but on hot days they stay at home if I'm going anywhere that they cannot go with me.

[kelpiecuddles]

oh good, would have made travelling complicated. On hot days I get the dogs out and my nine year old will sit with them while I run in but I don't really like doing that.

[Clyde]

oh good, would have made travelling complicated. On hot days I get the dogs out and my nine year old will sit with them while I run in but I don't really like doing that.

There is no way I would leave my nine year old on her own like that.

[kelpiecuddles]

He's pretty big and very independent for his age but it's definitely not my preferred strategy hence why I'd rather leave them in the car when travelling. Sometimes on a hot day though when you have to stop in a small town to get supplies there of course aren't covered car parks there.

[Clyde]

Have a look through this. Older kids are not necessarily 'safe'. I know one of the mums on this list. They've since caught the man who attempted to grab her child. He has over 30 other cases on him, including sexual assault on a two year old. It is just not worth it.

http://www.australianmissingpersonsregister.com/Abductions.htm

Whatever you do, you make sure they are not alone at this time and this includes teenagers. Do you think your teenager would be able to fight off a 100kg grown man? Or two of them?

Of course teenagers need more freedom and can't always be supervised, but your son is only 9. If you can't travel responsibly, then just don't do it.

[kelpiecuddles]

I'm sorry Clyde but I'm not going to live my life in a state of constant paranoia over the highly unlikely chance that some nutter is lurking outside a busy, populated IGA in a rural city on the Hume Hwy waiting to grab my son in the five minutes he is sitting on the pavement with my dogs, mostly within my sight. My children get a lot less freedom than most of the children around where we live, where children as young as 4 are often riding their bikes around the neighbourhood unsupervised, something even my 9 year old isn't allowed to do, I also don't leave them home alone which many parents around here do. I do believe in allowing my children to develop independence and responsibility as they get older and this is a small way I can do that where the risks are low. How you wish to parent is up to you but around here if our older kids want to work they have to catch a bus for 30 minutes, ride their bikes or similar so they do need to be able to be confident in their ability to be alone for short periods. The reality is that 99.9% of people are nice, ordinary people who are just going about their business and most assaults on children are perpetrated by someone they know, I won't spend my days angsting over that less than .1% who may or may not be walking the streets.

At any rate this is completely off topic.

Edited January 12, 2014 by kelpiecuddles

[Rebanne]

There is the added danger of carbon monoxide poisoning in an undercover car park to be aware off particularly if it is underground and a window is cracked.

[Little Gifts]

I can never understand how people leave animals, babies or the elderly in cars on hot days, leave the air con on and think that will suffice. My car is fairly new but the idling air con is nowhere near as cool as the running air con. The car heats up uncomfortably quite quickly. I always wonder how desperate you have to be to buy something if you can't go home and drop off your immobile or non-shop suitable travelling companions first.

Having worked in child protection I once had to locate a parent who left a newborn screaming in a new 4wd with the air con on and the car unlocked. She could not see the car from inside the shop and obviously couldn't hear her screaming baby either. She was incredibly lucky she only got me and not someone who would've liked to steal her nice new car and dump her baby off somewhere. She was a new mum and very upset that her baby was upset so I doubt she will ever do that again. I had flames blowing out of my nose and one defensive response from her and I was taking that baby with me!

[GeckoTree]

You can get little solar powered car auto cools, I have one up here now best thing I have ever bought for my car. Before, sometimes when I opened the car door the heat blast coming out was like a furnace. I reckon I could have left a frozen chook in the car and come back to a roast dinner!

[halfthewords]

Good!! Yesterday at my work (pet shop) we had a lady come in and seat herself on the floor while looking at different shampoos. When I went to ask her if she needed help and we got to talking, she said "Oh my dog is right outside if you want to see!" (his mange) I told her to get the dog immediately, our carpark has no shade and it was 30deg+. :mad That's not the only instance of people coming into our shop and leaving their dogs in the cars when dogs are QUITE WELCOME inside as long as they're on leash!!

[bamboo]

I am super, super cautious about leaving a dog in a car, because sometimes the unexplainable happens. I left 2 big dogs in my car, windows partly down, in an undercover carpark on an overcast, not hot day. When I came back one dog was totally fine, the other was foaming at the mouth, greatly distressed,wobbly and I feared for his life. He was taken directly to the vet's, across the road, cooled down and examined but no cause was determined.He had no known health issues and never had any further issues with overheating.I would never have forgiven myself if he hadn't recovered fully.

[twodoggies2001]

I am super, super cautious about leaving a dog in a car, because sometimes the unexplainable happens. I left 2 big dogs in my car, windows partly down, in an undercover carpark on an overcast, not hot day. When I came back one dog was totally fine, the other was foaming at the mouth, greatly distressed,wobbly and I feared for his life. He was taken directly to the vet's, across the road, cooled down and examined but no cause was determined.He had no known health issues and never had any further issues with overheating.I would never have forgiven myself if he hadn't recovered fully.

Could it be that the dog foaming at the mouth was in an anxious state therefore distressing him?

[bamboo]

Could it be that the dog foaming at the mouth was in an anxious state therefore distressing him?

I don't think so, twodoggies2001, he had never previously shown concern at being left by himself, and also had his best friend for company that time. Nor had he been barking-a great dane barking in an undercover carpark would have been noticed! He was not a generally anxious dog, and the vet believed his symptoms indicated heat stress, although he was not able to determine the cause given that the other dog, also large and under the exact same circumstances, suffered no ill effects at all. The best we could come up with was that the dog was a bit older,although not obviously unwell, especially for a dane, and had lost some of his ability to self regulate his temperature. Needless to say, he was never left under similar circumstances again and we made every effort to ensure his comfort temperature wise for the rest of his life.

[mita]

On a burning hot Brisbane day, I saw a dog in a car on the top level of our local mall's carpark. In full sun. There's a police beat office inside the mall. Qld law says police officers can intervene on behalf of animals. So I went & told them. The officers were fantastic. They grabbed their caps & took off to attend to the dog.