It hasn’t even officially been summer for a week, and already the reports of dogs being left in hot cars are dominating the news. It doesn’t have to be sweltering out for temperatures inside a vehicle to soar – and fast – even if the windows are left open or the vehicle is parked in the shade.
Dogs can’t cool themselves as easily as humans. Their cooling mechanisms are panting and sweating from the pads on their feet – neither of which helps much when they are trapped in an oven wearing a fur coat. Once their body temperature rises from the normal 101.5 to upwards of 105 degrees F, they can suffer brain damage or death in less than fifteen minutes.
Signs of Heatstroke
A dog may be in distress if you see:
- Excessive panting
- Pale gums
- Drooling with thick, ropy saliva
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness or seizures
What can you do?
As an owner:
- Don’t stop. If you’re out with your dog, don’t make any stops that require leaving him behind in the vehicle. Even if you think you’ll only be a minute, you never know what kind of delays you could run into. Even the best case scenario that you’re really only gone for a few minutes, it is still very unpleasant for your dog as the temperature in vehicles can soar in a very short time.
- Leave your dog at home. If you need to go somewhere that dogs are not welcome, leave yours at home. To be blunt, the guilt over sad puppy-dog eyes is worth it compared to what could happen – and you know he’ll be fine if he’s safe and sound at home.
If you see a dog in a vehicle, only you can decide what to do depending on the situation. Some options are:
- Call for help. If the dog is already showing signs of distress and the owner is nowhere to be found, you can call the local animal authorities, the police, or 911 – be prepared to provide the exact location of the vehicle, color, make, model and license plate number, along with the current condition of the dog. Several states and municipalities in the United States, and all provinces and territories in Canada have laws that protect animals – some specifically related to dogs in vehicles – and some offenses even come with criminal charges.
- Find the owner. If it is a business parking lot you can go in and try to have the owner paged; in a private driveway, you can knock on the door.