Tis the season for the internet lynch mob to swamp the web with pictures of dogs that are supposedly roasting in a hot car, or for people to be making statements about breaking out the windows of vehicles to “rescue” pets “trapped” inside. I am thankful to report that this year it seems that there are marginally fewer of these extremist types of posts….but it is early yet. I’d like to take a few minutes to chat about this topic.
First of all, YES!! It is dangerous to leave dogs in vehicles that heat up to extreme temperatures. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are real things. Dogs can, and have, died due to being locked in a vehicle that got too hot for them. This is not a myth.
So why is it that dog people seem to deny this as a possibility? I think that hurts our cause, and makes people less likely to listen to the rest of the message. So…yes. Hot cars are dangerous.
So what do you do if you are trekking through the parking lot at your neighborhood grocery store, notice that there is a dog panting in a car that is in direct sunlight, and you are concerned for it’s safety? Here are some basic steps that you can take to determine if this is a critical emergency that requires intervention.
1. Do not approach the vehicle. Stay where you can see it for a couple minutes to determine if the animal really is in distress. If you approach the vehicle, it is possible that the dog will start barking at you. This is problematic for a couple of reasons. First off, you now have no way of knowing if any distress is due to the heat, or due to you being too close to the car. Secondly, the effort that the dog puts into barking and fussing at you will add additional physical stress to their body. If they really are struggling in a hot car, you’ve just made it WAY worse. (Hint: Dogs that are barking are not dogs in immediate risk of death from heat. Those dogs tend to lay down and are unresponsive to their environment).
2. If you determine that the animal in the vehicle is at risk, go into whatever business is there and alert the manager of the store. Generally they will make an announcement regarding the concern, and hopefully the owner will respond.
3. If this does not produce results, call the police. Take note of the vehicle’s make, model, and license plate number. Wait at a safe distance from the car (so as not to disturb the animal inside) until the police arrive or give you further instructions.
4. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE WINDOWS!!!! This is a knee jerk reaction that could have some exceptionally dire consequences. First off all, it’s a crime for which you will be held accountable. Secondly, you have no idea if that dog inside of that vehicle is human aggressive, dog aggressive, prone to running away, has some sort of infectious disease….but you’re about to find out if you bust out those windows! Coming from someone who has a dog that is fearful of people, the idea that someone would break into my car, terrify my dog, and potentially get themselves bit (which by the way would likely become my fault and could get my dog euthanized) is one of my worst nightmares. So….just do yourself (and everyone else) a favor and stop saying that this is an acceptable action. It’s not. The same way that breaking into someone’s home is not acceptable.
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Alrighty, now that we’ve got that out of the way. Let’s talk about what you *can* do to make being in a vehicle when it’s hot outside just a bit safer.
Park in the shade. Direct sun will heat the car much faster. Remember that the sun will move, so you need to check up on your car often to be sure that it’s still shaded. If you can’t find shade….bring your own! Check out Aluminet shade cloth available in a variety of locations (GreenHouse MegaStore is my favorite).
Open your car as much as possible while still keeping your belongings and the animals safe. There are lots of products out there to help make this easier….
Vent-locks (click on the words for the link) are great for opening doors or hatches on vans or SUVs. They lock into the latch so that the door can’t be opened beyond the length of the vent-lock. I use the 6 or the 9 inch for most applications during the summer months. And the 4 or the 6 inch in the cooler months.
Window screens such as Breeze Guard Screens and even the cheaper plastic models from Amazon.com will do a lot to keep air flowing through the car.
I have become a HUGE fan of the Ryobi fans that are available from Home Depot. These things move a lot of air, and they have rechargeable batteries. When I know that I’m going to need to leave dogs in the car for extended periods of time (like at agility trials), I pack several batteries per fan. They are expensive, but keeping my dogs safe and comfortable is worth that price.
Put your dogs in crates that have a lot of air flow. There are lots of options for this. The crates you see below were purchased from Keith Breceda in Oroville, CA. They were great when I had my small SUV and I felt very comfortable with the air exchange my dogs had in them.
2016 update: Since this blog post was published I have now purchased a 2015 Ford Transit Connect cargo model. When I did this I also installed new crates that are bolted into the vehicle and have locking doors on both sides. These crates were purchased from Rogue Custom Crates in White City, OR and I can not understate their quality. These crates offer air flow, security, and protection for my dogs in the event of an accident. They are an investment for sure, but I would purchase them again in a heartbeat for the peace of mind that they have given me. Although I did not choose this option, they can also be purchased with Prairie Logic fans already installed.
If I had to pick the one item that I will never leave home without in the summer months, it would unquestionably my aluminet shade cloth. This stuff ( in conjunction with the other tools listed in this post) kept my car at a comfortable 72 degrees inside, while parked in direct sunlight for 10 hours, on a day that reached 100 degrees while at a lure coursing trial. I was actually a little chilly when I sat in the car. I have a couple of them and they’re fantastic. Available at cleanrun.com
If you’re feeling particularly committed, you could even invest in a hybrid vehicle that you can leave running while you’re not there. This would allow you to leave the AC running and it would be very inconspicuous to the average person walking by as the vehicles run silently. It is still an important step to check in frequently to be sure that nothing has malfunctioned.
So long story short? Don’t jump to conclusions. Stay calm if you’re worried about something and contact the proper authorities. If you need to transport your dog and leave them when it’s hot, take steps to keep them safe. It’s not rocket science. Have a good one guys!
Update:
Wow!! I am floored by how much support this post has gotten! Thank you all for coming by, commenting, and sharing some really valuable information on this topic. Clearly we are all very much affected by dogs being in cars during the warm times of the year, whether as a concerned citizen or a responsible dog owner that is taking steps to ensure safety.
As I read through comments both here and on Facebook I have noticed a few things that I think are important to share…
**WATER! I’m not sure how I forgot to mention water in the original blog post, but really. It’s important. I personally carry a couple gallons of bottled water with me always. This is partially because I have 5 dogs, but also so that I have the ability to douse ears, feet, or bellies if one of my girls is hot when we return to the car after whatever event we’ve been participating in.
**The above post is a general approach to filtering out whether a dog is in distress, and a conservative approach to assisting them. There are of course going to be exceptions to this rule. I absolutely support calling authorities (including animal control) prior to attempting to locate the owner if the situation appears dire. This has actually happened to me! I had my dog in my vehicle on an overcast, fairly windy, comfortable 50 degree day. A concerned community member called the police as they were concerned that my dog was in distress (she was barking at them), and an officer was sent into my place of employment to speak with me. He was courteous and sought to understand the situation. I was grateful that no one acted rashly and vandalized my vehicle, and that I had the chance to share some of my precautionary steps with the officer. It really was a nice learning experience for everyone.
**As has been mentioned several times in comments, if leaving your dog at home is possible during the hot weather months, that may be the safest option and is certainly one that needs to be considered. Every person’s situation is different here, as is everyone’s interpretation of “how hot is too hot?” Just like in the story above, someone felt that it was too hot for my dog to be in the vehicle. EXCELLENT!!! I’m so pleased that they cared enough to take time out of their day to call the authorities to make sure that my dog was safe. This is a good thing. If leaving your dog at home is not an option, hyper sensitivity to both the safety of the animal and the public perception of your actions is essential.
The CQB and me 