# Dog left in car on a hot spring day



## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

I went to the store about an hour or so ago to grab some things. On my way in I hear barking so I look up and see what looks like a teacup poodle in an empty car (that was there before me) in direct sun with the windows cracked. I thought to myself how dumb it's hot out here (88 when I went in to the store). I did my grocery shopping and came out probably about 30-45 mins later, and the car is still there with the poodle inside. I checked the temp on my phone and it said 90 degrees. I couldn't just leave this poor dog in the car, so I put my groceries in the car and waited for the person to come out. about 20 mins later the lady comes out, about middle aged I'd guess. She looks at me standing by her car and asks why I'm standing by her car. I asked if that was her dog and she said yes. I then told her I think it's a little too hot to leave your dog in the car in direct sunlight. I was concerned for your dogs safety. She replied "thank you for your concern, but it's none of your business." I said sorry, have a good day and walked away. Now maybe it was none of my business, but if the car was in the shade I probably wouldn't have said anything, but I felt I had to say something. so now I'm home with melted ice cream and feeling no better than I did before. I would have felt even worse if I hadn't had waited and just drove away, while that poor dog baked in the hot car.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Call the cops next time. Maybe she'll get the point if they make it their business. 88 degress even in the shade is too hot for a dog to be left in the car.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

I agree, I'd call the cops next time.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

I almost thought about that and next time I will.


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## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

I would've taken the license plate, make, and model of the vehicle into the store and have them announce it over the loudspeaker system (most stores have them...I'm sure some don't...). Hopefully the owner would respond and then if they didn't I would consider calling animal control or the police...that's really hot to leave a dog in a vehicle that long. Poor thing.


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## CuriousKira (Mar 15, 2011)

I called the police last year when I saw a small boston terrier in a car at the mall parking lot. I saw the dog when I went into the mall & she was still in the car when I came out 15 mins later. It was about 85 that day, took police 10 minutes to get there and 5 mins to open the car door, woman came out 45 mins and flipped her lid that I just wanted to steal her dog!!! I'm pretty sure she got a citation for animal cruelty & had to appear in court to get her dog back. Not at all my intention but with no water & no windows down, I felt I had to do something.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

next time I see a dog in the car I'm doing all of that. I don't even like leaving my dogs in the car when it's 50 degrees outside.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Good for you. You gave this woman a heads-up. If she does it again, I hope someone reports her. She deserves it.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

88 is too hot. But you DO have something to be happy about. It was 29 degrees yesterday here, and I think about 47 today. 

My girls have been in my car since 10AM. They had a vet appt at almost 4, and I am taking care of my parents' shop. So, they were in my car. I parked in the sun, but put the windows all the way down. They are fine. Kind of like crating them while you are at work. I came back from the vet, and it is overcast so the windows are only down a little bit now.


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## Ellie (Jun 26, 2009)

Definitely call the police! In some states, they can break into the car to let the dog out. I'm surprised it didn't die in there, that's an awful long time to be trapped in that heat!


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

next time I"m calling the police in Cali it's illegal to leave dogs and kids in a car no matter the temp.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

That is pretty crazy, what do you do at dog shows? What do you do if they do not allow crating?


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

selzer said:


> That is pretty crazy, what do you do at dog shows? What do you do if they do not allow crating?


I think it's ok if you're standing right there and all the doors/windows are open, but if all the doors are closed and you're not right there then it's illegal. at least that's what i think it is. I haven't looked into it.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Holy cow, that's way too hot out. I'd call animal control or the police next time unless the owner was only gone for like 5 minutes. I don't leave my dog in the car beyond 15C(59F).


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Yeah, that's too hot out! 

I was out here at 4 o'clock and it was pretty normal looking. I left the windows cracked. 

BEFORE SIX, EVERYTHING IS WHITE! EVERYTHING! TREE LIMBS, ROOFS, CARS, THE GROUND, IT IS COMING DOWN LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW! 

At six, I closed and locked the shop and went out to put my windows up, and there was snow inside my car -- all four windows. UHG!

Ah well, it is still March. It can do this for another month. 88 degrees -- this isn't the braggs section!


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

selzer said:


> That is pretty crazy, what do you do at dog shows? What do you do if they do not allow crating?


I think there was something on the news about a couple that had been at a dog show and left their dogs in the van over night. It had been a chilly night fine temp for dogs, but someone broke in and stole the dogs.
I believe the people got in trouble for leaving them out there at all.

Not 100% sure though, does anyone know about this story, I may not have listened attentively?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Someone in Florida came home from a dog show and left the dogs in the van and went to sleep. The dogs died in there. They were not even all her dogs, she was a professional handler. 

Another fellow at a dog show had the van catch on fire, and the dogs were pulled out by other people at the show. 

I rarely take more than two dogs to a show, but I usually leave one in the car, get set up, and maybe bring the other one in, or I leave one in the car while I work with the other. I do lock the car, but I make sure either windows and/or back are open, and it is not to gruesomely hot. Also, we stop at an eatery and the park where we can watch the car, windows down, etc. 

But we are not always right next to the car, even if a dog is in the car. Some people bring a bunch of dogs, and work them. 

The snow is still falling here.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

selzer said:


> Yeah, that's too hot out!
> 
> I was out here at 4 o'clock and it was pretty normal looking. I left the windows cracked.
> 
> ...


LOL sorry  come out to California


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

STILL snowing...

Yeah, in moments like these, I seriously thing that Arizona or California or Hawaii wouldn't be so bad.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

selzer, I thought this was a no cursing forum?? that is a 4letter word! lol


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

selzer said:


> STILL snowing...
> 
> Yeah, in moments like these, I seriously thing that Arizona or California or Hawaii wouldn't be so bad.


you could always come visit me lol


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## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

selzer said:


> STILL snowing...
> 
> Yeah, in moments like these, I seriously thing that Arizona or California or Hawaii wouldn't be so bad.


I know, I was happy today when it got up to 42. And of course, rain, turning to snow tomorrow. Everything is already flooding so rain is the last thing we need.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think I better just settle for looking at one of those pictures on Good Karma's thread. 

I have never been farther away from home than Toronto in the North, Long Island for work in the East, Kentucky in the South, And Eaton Ohio to the West -- yeah about six miles away from Indiana, but never got that far. 

I am not a traveler really. Like to stay home. Don't know what I would do with my dogs or without them. 

Ya know why this is bad, I have just reopened the Tack Room. Ya know saddles, tack, and gifty things for horse people. And have this unadvertised March Madness sale. But people buy things for their horses when the weather is nice, when they intend to go out there and RIDE the horses. Not usually when it is white and snowing all over the place. And if it sticks, we will need to PLOW! 

Oh, when will global warming FINALLY get here???


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Now to move away from Selzer's lovely winter landscape and back to the OP - yup call the cops or go in to the store & have the person called. I did that to a guy down here a few years back. he was snarly and mad. Too bad. Don't leave your dog in the car in Arkansas when it is hot out.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

middleofnowhere said:


> Now to move away from Selzer's lovely winter landscape and back to the OP - yup call the cops or go in to the store & have the person called. I did that to a guy down here a few years back. he was snarly and mad. Too bad. Don't leave your dog in the car in Arkansas when it is hot out.


next time I will be calling the cops and/or going in and having the person called.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I have went inside to have the person paged more than a few times...not that it did any good.
Wal-mart had no protocol set up and management didn't know what to do.
Both times the owners came out with a cart full. 
One dog was a gorgeous long coat GSD pup. I stayed with it and gave it some water til the owner came out...she was nonchalant about the whole thing. The sun was blistering and it was over 80 outside. one window cracked for the dog to stick its head out.

At a Meijer a dog jumped out of the owners car and was running around the parking lot. I saw it happen. The dog came to me and got in my car, I parked next to the owners car while an employee went in to notify. The owner came out eventually and raged on me, she was seriously deranged and probably high on meth. My thermometer in my car registered 88 and it was really humid with a storm just beginning. I wish the cops would have dealt with her instead of me. I hope she didn't have children in her custody.

Another time at Meijer, the police blocked the car so the owner couldn't leave without getting cited. Not sure what happened there, I didn't stay around.
Kohls~ last year before school began, a dog was inside an SUV barking constantly, hot out, an employee and I stayed around to wait til the owner skipped out with two kids and big bags in tow. I didn't confront them.... Why don't they leave the dogs home??


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

I've been told that even if you have the windows open, a car can reach very dangerous temperatures as the hot air does not really escape fast enough unless there is a strong breeze and air movement. Hot air will escape through an open sun roof.


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

sorry forgot to add.... I've reported dogs left in cars with just a slight cracked window to animal control, and I see that way too often.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

I called the cops when I saw a dog in a car in 80*F temps while their owners were in a restaurant eating. I went inside and told the hostess but they did NOTHING about it (no announcement, etc.). Told her I was calling the cops and they were none too pleased with me. Oh well!


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## idahospud49 (Jan 28, 2011)

selzer said:


> STILL snowing...
> 
> Yeah, in moments like these, I seriously thing that Arizona or California or Hawaii wouldn't be so bad.


White Mountains of Arizona is pretty nice!! Would not recommend Phoenix area, I'm sorry but the few months of pleasant weather does NOT make up for the 110+ degree weather during the summer.


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## TheNamesNelson (Apr 4, 2011)

I am 100% against people leaving their dogs inside their cars when its sunny and hot. If its uncomfortable for a person to be sitting in a temperature like that, its twice as uncomfortable for a dog. 

That being said, I can't understand the posters who are completely Anti dogs in cars no matter the temp, or the person who said they don't leave their dog in the car if its over 59 degrees. There are hundreds of situations my dog is in that is much hotter than a 59 degree car. I live in Michigan and it gets to be 80 degrees here in the summer. I don't always run the AC, so it'll be in the 70's to 80 and Ill be in the house with the windows open and 1 window fan blowing inside. Would someone call the cops on that?

I feel that as long as the temperatures are within natural levels for the dog (with things like size, weight, coat length in mind), and the car is parked in a shaded area, windows down, and there's water available, then the dog should be able to stay in the car for a short period just fine.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

probably not, but this dog was in a car in direct sunlight the outside temp was 90 degrees and the windows were rolled up and were only cracked. it gets way hotter inside a car faster than it does outside. there was no water and the car was there for an hour to an hour and a half, if it was there for five mins I wouldn't have said anything.

even though it's only 80 outside it may be well above a hundred inside the car regardless if the windows are down or not. In California it is illegal to leave your dog in an unattended car no matter the temp or time. 

I did an experament one day to see how hot the inside of my car got with the windows cracked on a 50 degree day. it got, I believe, to be around 90 degrees in my car when it was sitting in partial shade for an hour.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

TheNamesNelson said:


> I am 100% against people leaving their dogs inside their cars when its sunny and hot. If its uncomfortable for a person to be sitting in a temperature like that, its twice as uncomfortable for a dog.
> 
> That being said, I can't understand the posters who are completely Anti dogs in cars no matter the temp, or the person who said they don't leave their dog in the car if its over 59 degrees. There are hundreds of situations my dog is in that is much hotter than a 59 degree car.


I didn't mean 59 degrees in the car, I mean 59 degrees outside. And I don't mean I'll call the cops on someone if it's beyond only that either. I have a little black two door car that really heats up and a giant black dog that does the same. If it's been that warm out and my car has been sitting, when I open the car door a blast of heat comes out that melts your face off. I'm just not going to even bother risking it.

And I wouldn't be comfortable leaving the window open more than a couple inches, which probably wouldn't keep my car very cool. I don't want to worry about people reaching their hands in or him getting his head stuck. Plus, I've left the window open about 7 inches before and he can still crawl out.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Well, I will leave my dogs in the car with the windows down, but the dogs are crated. When I had my Neon, years ago, I was training Babs and Jenna, and it was hot and the Neon was dark green. 

Neons are not big enough to hold crates for GSDs. 

I was at the Sherriff's department parking lot, working Babsy, and thought I would leave the car running so Jenna would be in air conditioning. So the keys are in the ignition. Dog is loose in the car. I think you see where I am going with this. 

Yes, the bitch locked me out! 

So after a few choice explicatives, I went to the sherriff's department and asked them to call my dad, and gave them the number. 

My mom does not like telemarketers. She normally picks up, and hangs up almost immediately. Well, the sherriff's deputy must have sounded like a telemarketer. She hung up on him several times. I have to give the guy credit. My parent's were eating, and finally my dad was going to tell him off, and took the phone. 

Anyhow, after that I decided, no matter how hot it was, dogs DO NOT NEED AC in the car. But I am very careful how I leave them. 

It can get much hotter inside a car than outside because of the greenhouse effect. It will boil a dog, literally, as it will with children, and adults. You can leave a dog in a car safely. But you have to really, really be careful and mindful. 

the dog in this car in the sun, outside temperatures over ninety, windows cracked should be dead. If all of that was true, than a call to the police IS in order. The dog would be in an emergency situation.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

TheNamesNelson said:


> I am 100% against people leaving their dogs inside their cars when its sunny and hot. If its uncomfortable for a person to be sitting in a temperature like that, its twice as uncomfortable for a dog.
> 
> That being said, I can't understand the posters who are completely Anti dogs in cars no matter the temp, or the person who said they don't leave their dog in the car if its over 59 degrees. There are hundreds of situations my dog is in that is much hotter than a 59 degree car. I live in Michigan and it gets to be 80 degrees here in the summer. I don't always run the AC, so it'll be in the 70's to 80 and Ill be in the house with the windows open and 1 window fan blowing inside. Would someone call the cops on that?
> 
> I feel that as long as the temperatures are within natural levels for the dog (with things like size, weight, coat length in mind), and the car is parked in a shaded area, windows down, and there's water available, then the dog should be able to stay in the car for a short period just fine.


I agree 100% I was reading through this thread hoping to see someone a bit more level-headed. My dog goes everywhere with me. She stays in the car with all windows of a 4-door car (omitting drivers side front) opened 3" or so. The sunroof is also cracked open around 2" or so. She also always has a bowl of water.

I don't have air conditioning in my house and with occasional 100+ degree days in Indiana, my house can reach 90 degrees inside. It's no different than the car, and my GSD manages just fine.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Actually 90 degrees in a house is different than 90 degrees in a car in the sun. The inside temps will reach 120 or even higher. It will cook a dogs. It does not get AS hot AS fast in a car with windows cracked or down a little, as all the way closed. But even with them somewhat open it is still not safe.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

selzer said:


> Actually *90 degrees* in a house is different than *90 degrees* in a car in the sun.


Actually- it's exactly the same... :rofl:


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

A pound of bricks versus a pound of feathers...  LOL Wildo!


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

HAHA! I thought about saying that instead...  My dad used to work in a steel mill, and being an very technical, inquisitive, young boy at the time, I'd always asking about the goings ons in the mill. One time he asked me what weighed more- 10 pounds of feathers or 10 pounds of steel. I was absolutely convinced that the steel MUST weigh more! haha... It's steel!! LOL. Lesson learned dad. Lesson learned.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Ha Ha, If it is 90 degrees outside, it can be very pleasant in the house, even if the windows are wide open and no AC. However inside a car, even with windows cracked the temperatures will soar.


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